Doctor And Assistant: Travels Through Time And Space
by GothicPegasister
Summary: The Doctor and Derpy met in Equestria, specifically Ponyville, when the TARDIS crash landed. Now, flash forwards to the present, 7 months later. These are the stories of their adventures through time and space. All rights belong to their owners. Rated M for death scenes, mature scenes (nothing too graphic), and some plot.
1. Chapter 1

Doctor And Assistant (Chapter1)

Chapter One: The Start Of It All

/the Doctor\\

The Doctor groaned and kept his gaze on the clock inside of the TARDIS's monitor. It showed the time brightly in an assortment of various colors, reading 2:37 (or, on another side in military time, 14:37). Derpy would be back any moment now.

His mind wandered off to a very familiar thought: his assistant. She was a beautiful pegasus with a grey body, a golden mane and tail that always smelled of flowers, golden eyes, and a cutie mark of seven bubbles. Her eyes were his favorite external part of her, mostly because of how unique and hypnotizing they could be. Nopony else had them like hers – Derpy's were crossed, where she had full control on her left but her right would go where it pleased.

But aside from her eyes, he loved her personality. She was the pony that would walk across a bridge only suspended by thin, weak, fragile roping that sent it hovering fifty thousand feet over boiling lava if he had asked to. She hadn't a mean bone in her body, and although something screamed that she should have a dark side, it never hinted at even existing.

Derpy Hooves was the first pony the Doctor had ever seen when he landed in Ponyville. Something called out to him saying "hey, you might want to hold into this one," so he made her his trusty assistant. It had needed some taking used to, but the entire traveling thing was a breeze to her now.

His feelings towards his assistant were still a bit... feely-weely, but this much was clear: he loved her. It was true, 100% true. Her always playful laugh was infectious most of the time; she had a great sense of humor, and she was, well, beautiful. Especially in her human form too. He felt this feeling in his hearts every time he was within an inch or so of her that longed for her. How could he not love her?

He always joked with himself saying: "If I'm the Doctor, why's she the one to heal my hearts?" He would freeze all of time and space just so she would never leave, because he can't stand being apart for too long. The solar winds could take their caution and the time itself could and would surely wait. He promised himself that if she felt the same way, he'd stop all of time to love her for as long as possible, which'd be forever. Before he came to Ponyville, the scene would start with a tragedy and end with another old mystery, and he couldn't stand it. Then he met Derpy and everything had changed.

He wanted to test her, see if she felt the same way, but he was also scared too. Yes, the Doctor was scared, what a phrase, huh? He was so in love with his assistant, that even thinking about asking her about her feelings toward him sent him reeling.

This was mostly because of the odds. What if she didn't like him back? Wouldn't that put a bit of a damper on their friendship, and make it awkward? What if she didn't feel the same way and didn't want to travel with him anymore?

But what if she did like him back? That'd be sort of... it'd be amazing to the Doctor, fantastic, even. But what if something happened to her, like with Rose? The Doctor wouldn't like that, he couldn't handle another companion whisked away in the press of a button, in the blink of an eye, in the snap of second.

He was such a hard stallion/guy to handle. He sighed out of sadness, his face resting on his hoof. "I couldn't do that to her. It's too dangerous."

Because he knew, along with everyone else, that if he gets too close to her, she'll surely be a target. And he also can't age.

It'd never work, and he knew that.

And he hated it.

Derpy herself flew through the TARDIS doors abruptly, causing him to jump backwards. "Wow," she giggled, "got ya bad, huh?"

"You have no idea," he smiled back, his hearts trying to calm at the sight of her. Yes, he was so in love just looking at her sent his hearts to go crazy. "What's been going on with Dinky, Sparkler, and Ponyville?"

She rolled her eyes, setting her mailbag on the torn couch next to the Doctor and flying to him. "You have a time machine and a teleporter, technically, Doctor. You do know that you can see for yourself, right?"

"What's the fun in that?"

She giggled again. "I suppose. Anyways, Dinky's fine, Sparkler's fine, and Ponyville is better than ever. Now, can we please go somewhere?"

The Doctor couldn't help but chuckle at her whining, child-like expression. "Where to, then, Hooves?"

"How about somewhere... new? Ya know, somewhere we haven't gone?"

The Doctor thought it over, running planet names through his head. "There's one called Bubble, and I suppose we could head there because of your cutie mark," he suggested, hopping off of the couch and to the monitor. He closed out the clock and opened the planets folder, giving directions to the TARDIS. "I actually haven't visited this planet before. The TARDIS knows of it, of course, since it's a known planet to Gallifreyans."

"What, is that your Mars or something?"

"Nah, it's somewhat similar though," he laughed, hooves on the lever. "Ready?"

She shook her head. "I wanna do it." He grinned wildly, stepping away from the controls. "Which one is it?" she then asked.

He chuckled again, hesitantly but without being told grabbing her hooves. They both blushed at the encounter and he cleared his throat. "Sorry," he managed to say.

"'Salright," she laughed nervously.

He placed her hooves on the correct lever and she looked happily at him before he retracted his hooves and stepped back. "I'm ready when you are, Cap'n," he reminded her.

"Right then." She cleared her throat and over dramatically, in her best British accent and tone of the Doctor, yelled "ALLONS-Y!" in a perfect corresponding time to the lever.

/Derpy\\

'Oh, my goodness, we were holding hooves!' Derpy thought to herself. This sole fact had Derpy head over hooves, in an imagination only she would probably dream.

(Imagination)

They both blushed, but the Doctor didn't move his hooves away. In fact, he actually smiled at her, sending shivers down her spine in a good way. She always loved his smile. It was always a big part of knowing what type of plan he had in mind, whether it be frustrating, insane, or normal. But other than that, it suited him perfectly.

"Derpy, there's something I've been wanting to say."

His hooves let go of hers and traveled to her face, cradling it. "Doctor, what are you-" she stopped herself, unable to finish the sentence when he leaned closer.

His mouth was nearing hers and without thinking, she couldn't stand the wait and attached her lips onto his. He smiled and kissed her quickly, like he was excited, Derpy deciding to return his kiss. She could feel his hearts racing with each second she was even within a short distance as him, and she knew it was true.

"I love you, Derpy Hooves."

(Imaginations Done)

If only.

Okay, it was a possibility that she had a small, itty bitty, teensy weensy crush on the Doctor.

Oh, who was she kidding, she loved him with all of her heart.

He ways a chestnut stallion with a spiked brown mane and tail, blue eyes, and his cutie mark was an hourglass because, get this, he can travel throughout all of time and space in a box called the TARDIS!

They met seven months ago in Ponyville, Equestria. The TARDIS (standing for Time And Relative Dimensions In Space) had taken him to this place of talking ponies when he had wanted to go to Earth, specifically London. But he greeted her with his usual madman smile and rambled on and on and on and on and on about him being a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. It was no surprise he loved talking, and that it usually got him out of trouble.

They were best friends, and it seemed he thought of her as nothing more than an assistant. Just someone to help him out, a friend. Every time this dawned on her she felt miserable and depressed, so she tried not to remember the reality seeping in through the cracks of her mind.

Of course, Derpy felt differently. But what if he found out? That'd be the end of her, and she'd be too embarrassed to even look out the window and risk a chance for him to see her. If he found out, that might mean it'd be insanely awkward.

She decided not to think anymore, focusing on the task at hand.

She pulled the lever down shouting "ALLONSY!"

"Keep her steady!" the Doctor ordered.

"I will!" she yelled back through the roar of the engines. For a second they looked at each other and smiled before the TARDIS stopped abruptly, jerking them forwards. "What's going on?" she asked as silence spread throughout. They changed into their human forms. Derpy wore ripped black jeans and a light grey shirt, and her hair was always worn down in a golden wave with a bubble bobby-pin to decorate it.

He scoffed. "I don't know, it's new. But I do like new, so let's see."

"Oh, Doctor," Derpy giggled, "you're going to be the death of me."

"I can't see why," he said sarcastically. "So, ready to head out?"

Derpy nodded, extending her hand out, but when he didn't notice her action she quickly kept it to herself and gave up on holding his hand. She could feel an invisible dark grey storm cloud overhead, raining like it was a cartoon to signify her current mood.

The Doctor held out the door for her, and the confusion began.

**Author's Note:**

**Thank goodness! I am so happy to be back in my profile. I would have uploaded sooner but my iPad wouldn't charge, and I am now keeping my stories in an app I have downloaded there, thus resulting into me not being on my page for a week. (It feels like more than a week, haha!) **

**About Beginnings:**

** I am not really doing too well on these sub-stories. It was my dad's idea, and although it was good, I can't find enough background information and ideas to finish it. If I ever complete it, I will post it, but until then, this will be the story I upload. I'm working on chapter 6 currently, and as you can see, they do take long periods of time. So, if I don't upload every day, that's why. ****Sorry to keep you waiting for a new story!**

**Happy to be back,**

**— GothicPegasister**


	2. Chapter 2

Doctor And Assistant (Chapter2)

Chapter Two: Bubble?

/the Doctor\\

A large valley with dark red grass stood before them. The skies were a murky dark grey and black clouds streamed across it, painting scenes for everyone to gaze at. Speaking of, "where is everyone?" Derpy asked.

"That's the question of the hour, ain't it," he laughed.

"You'd expect something different for a planet called Bubble," she muttered.

"Hello?" someone asked the two time travelers. The voice carried away in the cool wind.

"Who's there?" the Doctor asked as his assistant went to hiding behind him. Mysterious mystery after mysterious mystery, a path suddenly seemed to clear up in their vision and he cheered triumphantly. "Come on, Derpy!"

"O...okay," she nodded unsurely, a bad feeling rolling into her stomach.

It was a long walk, but soon a few people came into view. Then houses, and then the farms. Derpy gasped when she saw everybody on the sidewalks, streets, and in boxes. "Hey," the Doctor whispered so she would hear, "I'm sure this isn't full of homeless beings."

"Doesn't seem that way," she frowned.

The Doctor needed to prove his point right to calm her down, so he walked to one of the men in a box, knocking on the soft wooden flaps three times. "Do you mind explaining why everyone is out here?"

The man snorted. "This is our home. We ain't got money, we ain't got homes." And he shut the box, the Doctor turning around to see Derpy backing up slowly shaking her head.

"Der-"

That's when he noticed the tears creeping down her face silently.

"Derpy, what's wrong?" he asked softly, taking a step forwards to her even though he wanted to jump and be there automatically. When he finally got to her she looked up at him and his hearts broke from the inside out. He had forgotten she was most of the time sensitive to people with bad lives, or bad things in general. "Come 'ere," he whispered to his crying assistant, wiping away a tear before pulling her to him and hugging her, a faint blush spreading on his cheeks.

/Derpy\\

She didn't even care that her face was growing hotter and she was blushing like crazy, she wrapped her arms around him tightly and cried into his jacket.

"Can you tell me what's the matter?" he whispered into her hair.

Her answer was simple. They simply didn't deserve living in those things on the street, and they all looked at her with these big eyes, and these crying faces, and...

"Alright, I'll wait," he gave up, making her giggle slightly.

"I wanna go back," she admitted.

"Okay, okay, it's okay," he smiled weakly. "We're gonna head to the TARDIS."

She nodded, hoping that he wasn't paying attention to her red face. He stared at her though, a weird look of determination and nervousness in his eyes before he blinked it away. The Doctor wiped another tear of hers' away and began walking.

"Derpy, next time just say something, okay?" he asked softly.

"Yes, Doctor," she whined.

He couldn't hide his chuckle. The Doctor opened the TARDIS door open for her.

"Thank you," she nodded. Her tears were dry now, but signs of them still remained on her cheeks. The Doctor stared at them unabashedly with sorrowful eyes. "Doctor, are you okay?"

"Huh-yes! I am, yes... I am," the Doctor stammered, looking away to hide a frown. He was broken from the inside out at her crying, but he didn't want to admit it.

Her brain suddenly lagged any at all thought process. "I might go make some muffins," she said quickly, rushing into the kitchen.

(Time Skip; Later That Night)

The Doctor was sitting on the couch to her left, and Derpy watched the fire crackle in the fireplace with him. She wanted to just lay with him, to have him put his arm around her and they would fall asleep in each other's embrace. But no... he wouldn't do that. Not with her, at least. Probably some other girl who could understand his rambling a bit better, who could actually get through a mission without being so overly sensitive and wasn't so self conscious.

A girl he actually loved.

She wiped the thought from her mind, looking over at the Doctor, who's gaze was still at the beautiful purple, blue, red-orange, and yellow flames with immense fascination.

He bit the inside of his lip obviously and looked back at her. "Beautiful, isn't it," he asked, quickly looking back at the fire.

She felt a chill of despair run through her chest at the failed, perfect-romantic moment wasted. "Yeah."

"Kind of weird just... sitting around, I guess, you know?" the Doctor said. "I mean, the entire..."

"Yeah, I get what you're saying."

Now was her chance. It'd be out of the blue, but...

"Hey, uh, Doctor?"

"Yeah?"

The way he looked at her, his eyes filled with deep concern and swimming with emotions, melted her heart. All of the things she was about to say disappeared from her head. "I... Do you... I think... Doctor..." she gave up. "I'm going to bed."

He looked like he was let down, his smile falling from his face. "Oh, okay. G'night, Derpy."

And she could have sworn he muttered something under his breath when she walked away, her only evidence the echoes off of the walls.

She opened the wooden door to her bedroom open. It was beautiful, filled with much more than needed. There was a brown dresser, a walk-in closet, a large brown-quilted bed with white sheets and pillows. Atop of her dresser was a phone that had a signal in every galaxy, and although she didn't use it often, kept it charged in case of an emergency.

Ditzy plopped into her bed, a pillow falling over her face in result. She giggled, setting it behind her head and gazing to her left. On a table laid a picture frame of her, Dinky, Sparkler, and Doctor Whooves in their pony-forms in front of a train station. She remembered it clearly, Sparkler had to leave for a few weeks to meet with her stalfriend in the Crystal Empire for a tour.

Although it was too early to go to bed, she laid her head on her pillow. Her final wonder was what the Doctor was doing, as usual.

(Dream)

Derpy looked over at the Doctor. 'Hey, uh, Doctor?' she asked.

'Yeah?'

His smile was taunting, tempting, almost luring her to him.

'Have you ever... liked someone you knew you shouldn't?'

'Everyone has,' he replied simply, looking away.

'Okay, well... Doctor, I think that person... is...'

The Doctor's eyes drifted to hers again and he moved closer to her. 'Yes?'

'Doctor, I think I...'

She looked into his eyes and gained enough courage to lean upwards just for a few inches. He wasn't much taller than she was.

'Derpy, I don't know how to think right now,' he frowned, pulling away.

A chill of despair ran through her chest and she felt tears build up in her eyes.

'I don't feel the same way.'

The sound of glass shattering. Was she falling? Air hit her in icy gusts. The Doctors voice shouting. 'I DON'T LOVE YOU, DERPY!'

More wind.

'This is too weird for me,' he whispered, pushing her away. 'I am dropping you off.'

The sound stopped, all except for her sobbing. Then it picked up again.

'This is goodbye.'

(Dream Is Over)

"-RPY, PLEASE!" the Doctor shouted, shaking her arm.

She bolted upright, sitting up. The Doctor was standing next to her obviously trying to fight back tears. Speaking of tears, he wiped one away off of her cheek. "Doctor?"

"Oh, thank Gallifrey," he muttered. "Are you okay?"

"I... Why?" She blinked away the memories of her nightmare.

"You were... you were calling out my name, and crying, and..." He stopped himself, wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm sorry I scared you, Doctor," Derpy frowned.

"What were you dreaming about?"

"It... Nothing, it was nothing," she lied. But really, she was emotionally scarred for probably forever.

"Derpy... I'm sorry you had to have a nightmare," he frowned, sitting next to her and breaking their embrace.

"It isn't your fault, silly," she laughed.

They gazed into each others' eyes and both thought the same thing: "I really want to kiss right now."

No one moved, so they just watched each other before the Doctor cleared his throat and excused himself to go to the control room.

She exhaled, throwing herself on her bed. How could she be so stupid?! She had a perfect opportunity right then and there to tell him!

She cursed herself and walked outside, watching the Doctor type into his keyboard and slamming the "Enter" key. Off to a new planet. Great. Planets.

Author's Note:

Yeah, looking back on this chapter I suppose I could have dived into Bubble a bit more. But, I mean, I got my point across: Derpy doesn't like when others are less fortunate than her. That's the only purpose of this chapter, anyways. So sorry if this sucks, haha!

-GothicPegasister


	3. Chapter 3

Doctor And Assistant, (Chap. 3)

Chapter Three: Welcome To London; Feat. the Cybermen

/the Doctor\\

'Stupid, stupid, stupid Doctor. You could have told her right then and there! But, no, you let your thoughts get to you!' he screamed at himself mentally. His mind responded with an 'it's your fault too.'

Derpy watched him walk away and he heard her thump against her bed. She probably needed to go back to sleep, so she had laid down again.

'It'd be too dangerous to tell her,' he reminded himself, 'just wait it out and see if she says anything first. If not, it wasn't meant to be.'

'But what if she was waiting for me to say something?'

The Doctor groaned at himself and started typing into the keyboard "London, United Kingdom, Earth, Present Day" and selected the file that he had programmed the TARDIS to remember. Derpy walked towards the Time Lord and sat behind him on the couch.

"I figured I could take you to my secondary hometown," he said quietly. "It'd be a bit better than Bubble."

Derpy nodded, looking past him and toward one of the branches sprouting up like a..., well, a branch, from the floor to the ceiling.

A few awkward moments passed by before he shouted "AllonS-Y!" to the TARDIS, making Derpy jump with a forced laugh.

She dramatically gasped. "YOU COULD HAVE GIVEN ME A HEART ATTACK!"

The Doctor chuckled and shook his head. "Come on, Derpy, avante!"

He led her outside of the TARDIS and she looked around enduringly, a large smile plastered onto her face. "It's so beautiful here," she sighed.

"Reminds me of -" Derpy spun around to see the end of his sentence, but the Doctor realized he almost confessed and tried to plan a rebuttal. "-of, um... Gallifrey. Yeah."

"Oh," she sighed, turning back around.

The Doctor locked the TARDIS doors and joined her walk. "Any ideas of where to go?"

She shrugged.

"Do you have an idea or something? I can make it happen. Wanna go somewhere else?"

She shrugged again.

"Hey, why aren't you talking anymore?"

She didn't answer; she kept walking.

The Doctor frowned, chasing after her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Derpy, talk to me."

"I don't know what to do," she admitted. "Why don't you ever have any ideas?"

He smirked at the sky and looked back at her. "Derpy Hooves, I am over 900 years old, and I have done almost everything. I'm doing this for you."

She smiled. "Why do you even bother?"

"Again, I'm doing this for you."

Her smile grew but automatically fell to a confused expression. She crossed her arms. "Okay. Let's keep walking."

"To where?"

"You tell me." She began to pick up the pace.

Did he say something wrong? Maybe if he had said something other than "I'm doing this for you" twice? He frowned.

The Doctor decided to shake it off and kept following her. She stopped at a corner and waited for him to catch up. There was something in her eyes that said she was feeling depressed, and as if they were in the weekly comic strip, a black cloud rumbled over the sky and rain poured down on them.

"Great," she mumbled. The Doctor took off his coat quickly and tossed it over to her with a smile. "Why?"

"So you aren't rained on."

She shook her head, returning his smile. She opened her mouth to say something, however, she jumped again when lightning struck the ground in front of her, merely a centimeter away.

But what the Doctor noticed was that it wasn't lightning.

"Derpy, run!" he shouted, grabbing her hand. He ran harder with her in his grasp, trying to fight off his blush with his feet slapping against the pavement.

"What are we doing?" his assistant asked.

"Running from lasers, cause this isn't a storm!"

Screams erupted from the streets. More lasers shot near them. One. Two. Three. The fourth one nearly hit Derpy and she clutched his hand harder.

They were flown forwards. In mid air, as a form of protection, the Doctor held Derpy to his chest to soften the blow she would have gotten. They landed on the cement and his head had been scratched and was bleeding.

He blinked. Derpy was trying to fix it.

He blinked again. His vision went fuzzy and white, and his head seemed to had gained 200+ pounds.

He blinked again.

Derpy was gone. Metallic stomping from in front of him.

Cybermen.

/Derpy\\

"No, no, no, no, no!" The Doctor shut his eyes and she felt tears roll from hers, landing on his suit. "Doctor, come on, wake up!"

A long scratch in his head was bleeding and she held her hands there to stop the blood from leaking. She grabbed his coat and held it on the cut. What had caused that, anyway? Glass wasn't anywhere near. But there was a rock.

Sweet mother of Celestia..., a poor man he was.

He opened his eyes again before closing them again.

She felt his pulse with her free hand – still alive, still beating. Both hearts still worked, good. He opened his eyes one more time and he had a concerned expression. A pained groan emerged from his lips before he shut his eyes.

Her tears wouldn't stop. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him to her. A young woman rushed over to them and gasped at the scene.

"I'm a doctor, I can help him!" she yelled.

Derpy didn't answer the woman who was now kneeled next to them.

"Ma'am, behind you!"

She heard stomping and a metallic hand clamped on her shoulder. "Come with us. You, shall be, UPGRADED!"

The woman looked between the moaning Doctor and Derpy frantically, but Derpy was hauled away.

She tried to struggle within the grasp of this robot but the grip on her arms was digging into her skin. "No, hey, get off! GET OFF!" she yelled.

/the Doctor\\

The Doctor sat up quickly. His suit was a tad wet, so Derpy must have been crying. His vision was still hazy but he could clearly make out a girl next to him wearing black Converse's, a black short-sleeved top and jeans. A large, bright ship flew overtop of them.

"Oi, oi, calm down!" she warned him, a hand on his arm.

"Where is she?!"

"Where is who?!"

"Derpy!"

"Who's Derpy?"

He groaned, tears in his eyes. "She's... young, golden hair, grey shirt and black ripped pants, probably crying..."

"Oh no," the girl gasped.

"'Oh no' what?!"

"A... A robot came down...? And, and she was... She was taken away."

He couldn't control himself anymore. He covered his eyes, tears dropping. He broke down in front of the woman, one fist clenched so tightly he began to lose feeling in that hand when it pounded on the ground to his right in one rumble of noise. "Bloody hell!" He growled.

"Okay, okay, calm down," she said soothingly, a hand on his back. "Somebody can get her back, right?"

He nodded, refusing to show his face.

"Okay. We'll see her again, you'll see her again," she frowned. "I'm Caraphernelia (Care-uh-fur-kneel-ee-uh), by the way."

The Doctor finally looked up, wiping away his tears although they were coming still, yet at a slower rate. "I'm the Doctor."

"Now, Doctor, what a silly name. Do you have some other name?"

"No, but can't I ask the same for you?"

"Cara," she nodded. Her ginger hair blew in the wind, strands straying from its ponytail. "You said someone can help Derpy. Who?"

"The Doctor himself," he muttered.

Cara confusedly helped him up. "Wait, you?"

"I'll explain later. Get to the TARDIS!"

More stomping was heard, coming closer. He ran to the TARDIS with her hand in his, and she was able to keep up with him and then almost outrun him. Must have been a marathon runner. He noted this in his head.

Derpy and him were only halfway to the TARDIS before the fourth laser, so the run with Cara was cut short. Derpy's beautiful face slammed it's way into the Doctor's head, a second round of emotions teaming with the unfinished first when she heard her giggle. "Keep going," he muttered to himself.

He pulled out the key from his pocket and quickly unlocked it. "Doctor, they're getting closer!" Cara yelled.

"Gotcha!" he yelled back, throwing the doors to the TARDIS open and pushing her inside, shutting them behind him.

Caraphernelia gasped. "What - Is - This?!"

He laughed, wiping away a tear as a memory of Derpy walking through the TARDIS for her first time. "A TARDIS, standing for Time And Relative Dimensions In Space. It travels throughout all of time and space, it has a mind of its' own, and it's bigger on the inside."

Cara looked around, spinning in circles.

"And did I mention it travels through time?"

"Ye-yes, you did. Doctor, you must be some sort of..."

"Alien? Quite possibly. Actually, to me, YOU are the alien, Caraphernelia Jones. So, technically, yes, I am an alien."

She blinked a few times. "Wait, so what sort of alien are you?"

"A time traveling one. We are called Time Lords."

"Where are the others? Is this how you drive it? It seems too big to only be driven by one person," Cara noted.

The Doctor exhaled. "Gone. I'm the last. And yes, the TARDIS's are usually driven by six people, one on each side."

"Is... Derpy a Time Lord too?"

He flinched at her name. "No, no, um... She's Equestrian, from a land of talking ponies in a kingdom called Equestria. She was a pony with wings, a Pegasus."

"No way!" Cara gasped again.

Lasers were heard outside, the screams getting louder. "Pretty sure I should save my boasting until later. Now! If we orbit through space, the ship is big and bright enough to be seen from a far distance," he rambled on. "Oh, and I talk a lot. A lot," he informed her.

"Wait, we are going to space?!"

"Yes, and you'll like this bit."

He switched the anematonic levers and pulled one large clamp down. The engines roared and sputtered into life, and Cara watched the tube in the middle nonchalantly move up and down with fascination.

He felt as they shot up into the sky, leaving the atmosphere of Earth to head into space. He kept his gaze on Cara, remembering when Derpy had her first ride in the TARDIS - and what irony, it was to space too.

Again, his assistant's adorable giggle sent a wave of depression through him. He couldn't fight it off quick enough, and it took away all of the fun he was having at that time. He promised himself that he would find her, no matter what it'd take, or whatever the cost would be.

But he couldn't get that beautiful face out of his head.

"Doctor?" Cara asked, stepping closer.

"I'm alright," he lied, holding out a hand. The TARDIS stopped at that moment and he saw the monitor start to depict a message.

"Oh, what's that?" Cara asked, pointing at the white, circular, sharp edged shapes on the blue screen.

"Gallifreyan. Home planet's language."

"Wait, what's your planet name, then?"

"Gallifrey. Story for another time. Perhaps once we get my assistant back?"

"Yes, sir," she saluted.

"Oh, enough with the salutes," he murmured.

"Can I ask one more question?"

"Make it quick."

"What do you think of Derpy?"

"What's that mean?"

"You two are just..., cute together. Have you ever thought of dating?"

The Doctor froze, stopping his slow walk to the doors and turned around to see Cara's curious expression. "I'm not even going to lie. Yes. Yes, a million times yes. I think about it every single day. And that's why we have to get her back as quickly as possible."

Cara nodded, a smile breaking out on her face as she followed him when he began walking again. "Think you'll kiss her?"

"You're sounding so childish. How old are you?"

"29 years of age. Now, answer my question."

The Doctor laughed nervously, a small blush spreading on his cheeks when he thought of kissing his assistant. "I think the answer is obvious."

Caraphernelia giggled.

"Now, allons-y!" the Doctor cried out.

Cara laughed at his French vocabulary and followed him outside. They entered a room of metallic floors and walls, a dirty grey to step on and a light grey to look at. More stomping. Clamping, like huge metal jaws.

He heard Cara shuffle behind him to get a better view. "I can't see," she whispered.

"You will soon enough. Stay quiet."

So the Doctor took her hand, expecting to feel Derpy, but feeling Cara instead. A gloomy cloud was cast over his head and his expression turned serious, fierce. He'd get her back. And he promised this to himself one more time.


	4. Chapter 4

Doctor And Assitant, (Chap. 4)

Chapeter Four: To Beat 3 Aliens and Rescue 1

/the Doctor\\

The Doctor muttered his promises and vows under his breath so the still careful and curious-Caraphernelia (oh, look, alliteration: he didn't mean to do that!) wouldn't ask him to repeat. Just thinking of her made him die inside.

Screams were coming from across the ship's main room, which was where they were. Cara shuddered. "What are these things?"

"Cybermen. I can explain in the TARDIS later, after we get..."

"Yeah, you don't got to say anything."

The Doctor smiled weakly at her in a way of saying "thank you." She nodded, returning the smile. He grabbed her hand and they both stood up, watching their surroundings.

He heard something similar to a teleport teleporting a few feet in front of them. A Cyberman appeared in between seven rays of lilac-magenta lights, a hostage in hand.

The woman flailed and screamed. "No, stop it! The Doctor's going to kill you for this! Ah! No, stop, put me down! I said, put mE DOWN!"

The voice was in a high octave and automatically knew it was Derpy. The Doctor felt his hands tremble and a tear spilled onto his cheek. He wiped it away unsteadily and kept watching, trying to think of a plan.

"Please," Derpy cried, "just put me down..."

Derpy disappeared from view and the rays of light vanished. Before the Doctor could react, Cara ran forwards. "Oi, tin boys! Over here!"

"Cara-"

"Get her!"

Cara pushed one of the four Cybermen closest to her making it fall over the others. A domino effect was caused, but the Doctor had begun running so he couldn't see the end of it.

He listened for Derpy's voice but heard nothing, only sobbing, so he ran towards that. Took a right, kept going forwards. Left, left, right, right, right, straight. Diagonal, technically northeast to him. And he saw the scariest thing ever imaginable.

"No, please!" Derpy yelled. She was trying to stop herself from falling into the plastic wrappings but the Cyberman yelled she'd be upgraded and pushed her in.

"HANDS OFF OF HER!" the Doctor roared.

"Doctor!" Derpy gasped, climbing out as quickly as she could. A Cyberman close to her stomped on her hand and she cried out in pain.

"Doctor! You, shall, be, ASSIMILATED!" the first (out of three) Cyberman cheered.

The second one stepped towards him, the third stepping in between Cyberman 1 and 2. The Doctor laughed, whipped out his sonic screwdriver, and pointed it at 2.

"No one moves. No one touches her. Let me have her."

"..." Silence from 1.

"..." Silence from 3.

"...YOU SHALL B-" 2 began talking but the Doctor pressed his screwdrivers' button, an electrical energy hitting the center of his forehead.

"Who wants some?!" he taunted. "Come on!"

Before anyone could respond, the Doctor aimed up again at 1 and shot before doing the same to 3. They all fell to their knees and clutched their heads before hitting the ground.

Derpy ran to the Doctor and wrapped her arms around him, tears streaming down her face. The Doctor smiled at her and ignored the urge to kiss her...again.

"Doct-" her breath was choked on a sob and she buried her face deeper into his suit, hiding the blush on her face.

"It's okay," he whispered after he lowered his head to the top of hers', stroking her hair, "you're safe now."

"Doctor!" Cara yelled from outside of the room. "I can't hold them for much longer!"

"Oh, right. Derpy, it seems our work here isn't done!" the Doctor laughed, holding her hand and running to Cara.

Caraphernelia was pushing the Cybermen down and dodging their lasers. Derpy watched with fascination and the Doctor kept running with her, using his other hand to grab Cara and open the TARDIS.

He pushed the two women inside and shut the door behind him as he was the last to enter. The TARDIS automatically flew to an orbit in outer space. He let out a sigh, leaning against the doors. "Wow... That was something."

Derpy walked over to the Doctor and smiled before hugging him again. He grinned and pulled her to him, his arms around her so tightly that she couldn't move. But she didn't care. And frankly, neither did he. He was so happy she was back with him. So happy, that he almost thought of telling her how he felt. His hearts fluttered at the idea and his smile grew.

"Doctor, why are your hearts beating so fast all of a sudden?"

But then he stopped and blinked a few times. He knew the answer: he was hugging the woman he loved, but couldn't love. He lied, "I don't know."

Cara then thought it'd be funny to clear her throat and ask, "are you two gonna kiss or what?"

Derpy gave a confused and shocked look up to the Doctor. His eyes opened widely and he shot a murderous glare at Caraphernelia and mouthed "don't you dare tell her" when his assistant wasn't looking.

Caraphernelia laughed and nodded, putting her hands up in a half surrender.

Derpy flinched. "Ow...," she whimpered, pulling away.

"Oh no, did I hurt you? Derpy? Are you okay?" In the heat of the moment, the Doctor had unknowingly gotten onto his knees while asking her these questions.

"It's my hand," she sighed, examining it.

"What's going on?"

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver -

-"Wait, wait," Cara laughed. "I'm a doctor. Shouldn't I see what's going on before you use your alien powers? She's human, technically, so I'm qualified."

The Doctor merely laughed and nodded, leading his assistant (holding her good hand) over to the torn couch and helped her sit, although she reminded him several times she was okay on her own. He wouldn't take "no" as an answer, though. And to be completely honest, wouldn't if it wouldn't benefit her in the end.

Cara poked at Derpy's hand and asked where it hurt, how much pressure she could put on it without it hurting, and on a scale of 1-10, how bad was the pain.

"4, but it's enough to hurt," Derpy muttered.

Cara continued her check up until she smiled. "Nothing more than a bone bruise. You'll be fine."

"Thank you," Derpy and the Doctor said in unison.

"Now, I think it's about time I head home. Should you give me a ride?"

"Tell us about yourself," Derpy smiled out of no where.

"Oh, um, okay. Well, my full name is Caraphernelia Michelle Jones. I'm 29 years old, born and raised in London. Live there today, to be exact. Lovely town. Beautiful place. My mother left when I was 15, my dad committing suicide when I was 19. Been on my own since.

"I'm an only child. I studied medicines and diseases throughout grades 6-10 because that was my strongpoint, and then I realized I wanted to become a doctor before I took my exams. Graduated college after six years. A+ student throughout every school and class ever."

"What's your favorite planet?"

"Hmm... other than earth? I think something new'd be nice. Like something that hasn't been found out."

The Doctor smiled at his assistant, and then at Cara. "How'd you like to travel with us?"

Cara's jaw dropped and her eyes went wide. "You mean, travel all of time and space, with you two?! With two ALIENS?!"

Derpy leaned closer to the Doctor. "Geez. Is that how you felt every time I called YOU an 'alien'?"

"Pretty much. And yes, Cara, would you like to travel all of time and space with us?"

"That'd. Be. AWESOME! Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Hey, Derpy, wanna help her pick out a room and show her around the TARDIS? I'll figure out where to go."

/Derpy\\

"Okay," she smiled at the Doctor, grabbing Cara's pale-with-a-hint-of-apricot hand.

Cara followed her happily, looking around. "How big is this thing?"

"The TARDIS is absolutely huge. Pretty cool, huh?" They went up the steps and turned to the right, following the hallway down.

"Definitely." Cara looked around a bit more. "You know, my favorite stories growing up as a kid were about space. But I also liked one, where there was a magical man, and he'd never die. You could spend all of your life with him and he was... well, perfect. I sort of obsessed over that story, actually," she laughed.

"If only...," Derpy muttered sadly, crossing her arms. "Anyways. There a few hundred rooms here. I'll show you them."

"Okay," Cara smiled. It quickly turned to a frown, however, when she saw she had upset Derpy. She pondered in her head why it had stricken her so negatively, but cursed herself mentally for doing it.


	5. Chapter 5

Doctor And Assistant, (Chap. 5)

Chapter Five: Not London, But America

/the Doctor\\

"Uhm, girls, perhaps London in the 1800s isn't go into happen. Not today at least," the Doctor proclaimed.

"Aw, why not?" Cara whined sarcastically.

"Yeah, why not?" Derpy chimes in.

The Doctor shrugged. "How does..." he checked the monitor behind him, clasping his hands together in one quiet slam, "..., America, in the year 3090?"

The girls looked at each other almost like they could talk to each other telepathically. However, the Doctor knew that they were both thinking the same thing: "how did we go to the future instead of the past, and in another different country?"

He wish he knew.

"I think that'd be okay," Cara smiled, Derpy nodding in agreement.

"I'm sure it'll be fine."

The Doctor smiled at his assistants. Well, assistant and companion. Well, companions. But he'd keep calling Derpy his assistant anyway. "Now, listen. It's so far into the future that I'm not sure it could be safe for you two humans. Well, human and Equestrian-in-human-form."

"What'dya mean?" Derpy asked.

"Air-wise, it could be too thin, or too thick, which usually occurs in some cases. I mean, if it's anything like the Motorway, it could be filled with smoke and motor vehicle fumes."

"'The Motorway'?" the girls asked in unison.

"Story for another time."

"Speaking of," Cara started, "you never told me about Gallifrey, Doctor."

Derpy giggled nervously. "Oh, so it's time for that story. He gets emotional easily," she smiled at Cara. The girls erupted in a fit of hushed laughter.

"Mmhmm, very funny," the Doctor muttered. "Everyone's a critic. Anyways, I'm gonna go."

He let without another word, shutting the door on their laughter. He expected a change in the atmosphere, but it was exactly the same. He ventured onwards on a quest to safe the path and make sure it wasn't fraught with danger. Because, who knows, he might even have a relaxing trip for once to ease Cara into the entire time travel thing. That'd be a definite change in style.

/Derpy\\

"But I seriously can't believe he'll get THAT emotional!" Cara laughed.

Derpy felt bad saying all of these things and stories about the Doctor. Like one time, he just broke down in front of her, a huge crying mess out of nowhere. He didn't even say why! All he said was muttering, and she only heard something that sounded like "I've seen too much". And another, when he turned bipolar for a day. Still haven't found out why, though. He kind of... he was happy one moment, and then he was just in a huge fit of anger.

"Yeah, tends to happen from time to time."

Derpy was sitting on Caraphernelia's bed with her telling stories about these amazing adventures, or even just about the Doctor's background in general. Oh, and don't forget about Equestria! She let Cara down only once, when she wanted to know more about the Time War. Derpy said the truth, that all she knew was that there was a war.

"Oh God, see, look at this bloody mess!" Cara wiped away a tear from her laughing too hard. "I'm crying!"

Another laugh from the two of them.

"But can I ask you a serious question?"

Derpy's sitting position straightened up automatically and she nodded. "What is it?"

"What's your thoughts on the Doctor?"

She laughed. "A bit personal with that one, huh?"

"I like to mix it up every once in a while," Cara shrugged.

"Sure you do."

An awkward silence echoed before Cara cleared her throat.

"Right," Derpy frowned. She wanted to stall telling her feelings. She hopped off of the bed quickly, checking the halls around them to see if he had gotten back yet. Nope, his coat was missing, so he still was outside. She took her seat once more. "Sorry, just checking. So... where do I start?"

"The beginning," Cara requested. "Please?"

Derpy laughed. "You're like a child."

"I get that a lot."

She laughed again. "Anyways. It was a beautiful autumn day in Ponyville seven months ago. I was a mailmare, and I was doing my usual route. However, I got a bit... sidetracked.

"I had lost my way around the Everfree Forest. But then I heard this weird exhaling, and I flew over to the noise. And, there he was, the Doctor and his TARDIS. I was the first pony he'd ever met, so I was happy to show him around."

"Was he cute?"

Derpy blushed and looked down, her hands now in her lap. "I have a picture."

"I wanna see!" Cara bounced up and down.

"Alright, follow me, then. It's in my room." So they both got off of the bed and began the walk to Derpy's room, meanwhile still telling the story. "So, anyways. I showed him around. The next day, he wasted no time. He walked into my house, literally pulled me out of my living room, and told me he wanted to go on an adventure."

"How romantic," Cara said.

"Actually, it wasn't romantic at all. It had no intentions of the sort either. And why do you keep relating us together romantically whenever I talk about the Doctor?"

"What? You're adorable together, the perfect team. And also, I was always one for romance. I was the largest fangirl known in London! At least, in my town I was. I had too many OTP's and shippings!" Cara explained.

Derpy laughed, opening her bedroom door and walking over to the dresser and unlocking it. "We began travelling from then on to now. We've defeated so many foes, but for some reason, they just keep popping up out of nowhere! Ah, I got it," she smiled, jiggling the lock until it fell off of the drawer's handle.

"Why the lock?"

"Privacy reasons," Derpy blushed, "and my own good." She began looking for the picture, observing the snapshot before giving it to Cara. It was taken in front of the TARDIS; the Doctor had said he wanted a photo before their first adventure.

"Aw... the two together before they decided to engage each other-"

"-NO, NOT LIKE THAT!"

"in some good old fashioned fun," she continued like she wasn't interrupted. "And what is this?" Cara brought the picture closer to her. "You're blushing! Your TOTALLY blushing!

"WHAT?!" Derpy screamed, grabbing the picture from Cara. "Oh God... you're right."

"You like him, don't you?"

Derpy played with a lock of hair in front of her right eye, twirling it around her index finger. "Perhaps, maybe a tiny, itty bitty, extremely microscopic crush."

Cara looked at her, purposely wagging her eyebrows like the Doctor two times.

Derpy giggled, a large blush setting on her face. "Okay, it's true. I love him!"

Cara squealed. "That's adorable!" Derpy set the picture in the drawer, locking it again. "But why won't you tell him?"

"I can't do that. Are you crazy?!"

"Not entirely. But why not?"

Derpy frowned, sulking against the wall with her arms crossed weakly. "It'd only hurt him more."

"Why do you say?"

"He still has one more life after he regenerates. I only have this one. I can't be with him for all of his lives, and when I do die, he'd be..." She covered her eyes with one of her hands and turned away, tears dripping down her face.

"Oh, Derpy!" Cara cooed, walking over and hugging her. "You don't have to cry. There's always a silver lining!"

Derpy sniffed. "A silver lining?"

"You know, a bright side to everything? Like, I'm traveling with you. Bad side, my friend may miss me. But the silver lining, I get to go anywhere and everywhere! Can you find a silver lining?"

Derpy cried softer than before, trying to calm down. "A bad side, I really, really want to tell him?"

"That's a start. And now, the good?"

"I... Good side, I won't hurt him anymore than he needs to be."

Cara debated saying something but nodded. "Are you alright now?" she asked a few seconds later.

Derpy wiped her eyes. "I guess so. Thanks, Cara. I'm happy I have a friend like you," she smiled.

"And if you ever need any more help on that, just tell me. I'm an expert in-"

-The Doctor knocked on the door and Derpy's face flushed. "Am I interrupting something?"

"NO! I mean, um, no, no, n-no, you're... You're not interrupting anything," the lovesick girl stuttered.

The Doctor chuckled. "Alright then. I think it's pretty safe. And it's beautiful too! You two'll love it!"

"Allons-y," Derpy mumbled with a laugh when the Doctor repeated it, yet louder in every way possible.

/the Doctor\\

The girls looked at the large grey skyscrapers that littered the area. The sky was a porcelain blue with no clouds and a soft sunlight shining down. Floating cars and hovering skateboards and scooters were seen to the left and right. Stores were advertising different toys and products. People around us looked the same from 2014 Earth and were chattering noisily and laughing. A huge sign read "New York" and Derpy mouthed the words in confusion.

"The must-see of America," Cara informed her. "I've always wanted to go there."

"Seems now you've gotten a chance!" the Doctor cheered. "Now, girls, shall we head out?"

"Where, exactly?" Cara asked.

"I've got a pamphlet," he laughed, holding out a small device. It was circular, a dark storm-cloud grey with a red light on top.

"But, Doctor, that's just a remote," Derpy reminded him.

"A remote, yet so much more," the Doctor smiled back. "Because what do you do when you see a red button?"

"You press it?" Cara asked, adding in a laugh.

"Correct!" The Doctor over excitedly pressed the red button and it turned to a light cerulean, extrinsic to the surroundings on the device. A small V-like shape echoed from the top, extending about 6 inches upwards towards the sky. In the middle was a map, and the key was at the bottom. "What's everyone in the mood for? They do have different classes, by the way, for our moods, thus being why I asked."

Derpy shrugged, adding in a sarcastic laugh to her sarcastic sentence: "do they have a therapist?"

The Doctor looked up from the giggling girls, his brown eyes full of concern. "Why would you need a therapist, Derpy?"

Her eyes went wide. "No reason," she managed to mutter under pressure.

"She's just been missing Ponyville, aren't you, Derpy?" Cara answered for her.

"RIGht, right, right, right, right. Yes. Missing, um, Ponyville."

The Doctor scanned his assistant with his sonic screwdriver, picking up no signals that were needed. She did have a weird dark color surrounding her, but an almost forced pink shot in an battled the dark. He pocketed the screwdriver, clicking the button again on the "pamphlet".

"Is there a midway point? What if we just go there, and then figure out where our location should head towards then?" Cara suggested.

As they passed through the midway point they stopped to rest on a bench, Derpy being in the middle, Cara being to her left, and the Doctor by her right, closest to the duck pond. The Doctor watched it, trying to count how many times a fish splashed from underwater.

"Hey guys," he started, "is a duck pond still a duck pond, if there are no ducks?"

"What is this, a game of Random Questions?" Cara asked, causing them all to laugh. "But seriously. I also think it could be a statue pond."

"Why so?" Derpy asked, turning to look at Caraphernelia.

"There's statues. And they are positioned at the pond. Figured I'd make a joke."

"Where?" the Doctor asked, anxiety growing.

"Right over - hey, where did it go off to?"


	6. Chapter 6

Doctor And Assistant (Chapter6)

Chapeter Six: Angels

/the Doctor\\

Weeping Angels.

The thought hit him and his assistant at the same time. They both looked at each other slowly, jumping back like they had seen a ghost when their concerned gazes met. "You don't think... Cara, are you lying?"

"No," Cara shrugged, "I never lie."

Derpy gasped. "Then... Doctor? It can't be. No, it can't be!"

"Girls, just stay calm," he whispered.

"Why would we need to stay calm?" Cara asked.

"Angels," Derpy whispered back. "Oh, Doctor, I don't want to see Angels!"

"It's okay, Derpy, it's okay. We'll find a way out."

"What are Angels?" Cara tried again. She stood up, walking away so her back was to them, stopping a foot away.

Scraping from behind them.

The Doctor spun around behind them at the same time as Derpy, who let out a soft gasp and jumped off of the bench with a scream. Cara eyed up the two statues. Their bodies were dark grey, made entirely of stone, wings sprouting off and their eyes covered. "They both look like the one I saw. How'd it get there?"

"Cara, they move. Don't blink."

"But-"

"-DON'T blink," the Doctor repeated. Thoughts ran through his head and he unknowingly said them aloud. "Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay... Okay, we need to get to the TARDIS but how? How... How would you run away from something without looking away? Is it possib- WALKING BACKWARDS!"

"What?!" the girls yelled in unison.

"Derpy, hold my hand," the Time Lord instructed. Derpy didn't hesitate. She held out her hand, the Doctor lacing their fingers together. "When I say walk, walk. Don't worry. I will get you. The only thing to think of is the Angel."

"O-o-okay," Derpy nodded, the Doctor's touch sending a warmness through her veins and up her arm.

"Cara, you too. Get over here. We have to do this together."

Cara did the same, her eyes on one Angel and Derpy's on the second. "What now?"

"We walk backwards. Well, you two will walk backwards."

"What?!" the girls yelled again.

"I remember where I parked the TARDIS. I'll tell you when to step, where to step. You two will need to have your eyes in them the entire time. They have eyes for you two. But listen, I won't let them get to either of you," he promised. No one answered. "Squeeze my hand if you understand."

Cara followed his instructions, but Derpy lagged before coming to a conclusion and doing the same.

"And don't look in their eyes. So, don't blink, don't turn your back, and don't look into their eyes. Got me?" the Doctor made sure.

They both nodded.

"Allons-y," he mumbled.

There he goes again, putting his assistant in danger. How many times would this be now? Somewhere in the late-hundreds. Of course. Of-bloody-course.

"Keep me updated on their status," the Doctor instructed. He turned around, switching his grip towards where the TARDIS was located. "Tell me if they move, and if you have to blink, tell me."

They kept walking, keeping a good pace up. Derpy tripped on a rock the Doctor didn't see, and he caught her just in time. She kept her vision on the Angel even though he secretly wanted her to look up so he could kiss her.

'Again? Come on, Doctor. Enough with the fantasies. You might probably die right now,' he told himself.

"Doctor?" Cara gasped. "There's a third!"

"That puts a damper on our plans. Seems to be I should walk like you guys, too."

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Derpy shouted. "No, no, my eyes!"

"Huh?"

She concentrated, her left eye on her original one and her right eye on the new third.

The Doctor gasped. "Derpy, you intelligent beaut-" he cut himself off from finishing his sentence ("Derpy, you intelligent beauty!").

Derpy clenched her hands into fists and bit down on her lip, a fierce look in her eyes, muttering something no one could hear.

They carefully made their way to the TARDIS, the Doctor guiding the two as they walked away from the 3 Angels. Meanwhile, all the Doctor could think about were the "What-If's?".

What if Derpy tripped again? What if Caraphernelia blinked? What if another Angel appeared?

'NO!' he barked at himself in his head. 'No, stop it! No. Nothing will happen to them so long as I am breathing.'

"Derpy, what's the status?" he asked her.

"Er... 3 Angels, like before. They're really far away now," she answered.

"And how exactly do we get rid of these... Angels?" Caraphernelia asked.

"I have an idea," the Doctor proclaimed. "We ride on the TARDIS."

The 2 girls stopped walking and yelled "WHAT?!" without turning.

"I'm serious," the Doctor shrugged, softly grabbing one of each's shoulders and urging them to continue.

"But, Doctor, wouldn't they absorb the Time Energy?" Derpy asked. "Can't we give them to someone else?"

"Us 3 are the only ones to see them. They are reaching out to us, not any of the other hundred-thousands of people here! So what, they absorb a bit of Time Energy? Nothing too bad, so long as it doesn't give off so much."

"Doctor, you must be mad," Cara muttered.

Derpy talked underneath of the Doctor. "Actually, a lot more than mad," she whispered, "he's got his own category."

The Doctor couldn't hear Derpy's quiet voice and kept rambling. "Oi!" he shouted. "Don't diss my mental stabilization! But I've been doing even more thinking-"

"-AH!" Caraphernelia screamed. Her Angel had moved closer. They paused, deciphering what to do next.

"Cara!" Derpy gasped in shock. "Okay, okay, listen, just calm down. Doctor? What do we do?! I need to blink!"

"Oh, um, um... Right. Derpy. Blink ONE eye at a time. One Angel will move forward with each," the Doctor ordered.

"But-"

"Just do it! I can handle yours if needed." Derpy shot him a nervous glance before blinking as he had said quickly. "Good?" he asked.

"Well, I have a headache from focusing my right eye, but nothing too bad," she sighed in response, again looking at the two Angels.

"Can we start walking again?" Caraphernelia asked.

"Right," the Doctor nodded. "Walking."

/Derpy\\

They reached the TARDIS after what had felt like forever. Derpy's Angels had moved closer about 6 times, and Cara's were closer than needed. She had tripped due to clumsiness and her Angel progressed a few feet each time.

"Alright," the Doctor said loudly. "We're at the TARDIS."

"What now?" Derpy asked curiously. "Blinking," she then warned.

"Gotcha," he answered, watching each of her Angels periodically. "You two'll ride on the outside-"

"-WHAT?!" the two girls yelled in shock.

"It's possible. Derpy, remember Captain Jack Harkness?" the Doctor asked his assistant.

"Um.. Oh, yeah! The one who flirted with everything?"

"Precisely," the Time Lord said, although he was hiding an obvious sad tone. "Remember how he chased us, hopped onto the TARDIS, and we drove without knowing?"

"Yeah. But wh– you're going to have us do that, aren't you?"

"Correct."

"... You'd better not let us fall into the Vortex," Derpy grimaced.

"Trust me; I would never do that. Now, do as I say. Cara, stay there. Derpy, walk backwards. I'll guide you," the Doctor said. Soon, a hand was on her shoulder, his other grasping her hand. "Okay, I have you now. Follow my lead."

She was guided until he bumped into something she presumed to be the TARDIS. "You need to hold on, or you'll be wiped from all existence."

"Yeah, no pressure," she whimpered.

"Hey, don't be like that... Don't you trust me?" he asked, directing her hands to the corners of the police box, her back leaning against the outside.

"Yeah, I trust you, but it doesn't mean you won't forget we are out here."

"I can't do this any longer!" Cara yelled.

"Right, right. Derpy, eyes on the two Angels. Cara, I'll do the same to you."

Derpy lost herself in thought, gripping so tightly against the TARDIS her knuckles turned to a pale white. 'How could this work?' she asked herself. 'What if I fell in – NO. No thoughts of that! Just focus on the Angels. The...'

"Doctor?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"Where did the Angels go?"

The Doctor tensed, whipping his body towards where the three Angels had been, his eyes widened.

"They can't just... disappear, can they? I turned around, guys, but... they should have moved closer, right?" Caraphernelia asked.

Derpy began panicking. She always hated Weeping Angels. She was petrified, to be exact. Actually, petrified was an understatement. "Doctor?! Oh my God, oh my God! Where are they?!"

"Derpy, calm down, calm down!" the Doctor yelled. She stopped her tantrum, looking at him with huge eyes, her thoughts now only of possible scenarios. "Look, Derpy, it'll be okay, okay? Come 'ere."

Derpy embraced the Doctor tightly, burying her face into his suit. "I'm sorry," she frowned.

"It's all right. It's okay to be scared some times; it is normal. I won't let them get you," he murmured into her hair.

Caraphernelia gasped, squealing uncontrollably. "Derptor!"

Derpy slanted her eyes in confusion, the Time Lord stepping away. "What?" she asked.

"That'd be your shipping name!"

"Our... what?!" Derpy gasped in surprise.

"Ya know, you two – like a power couple name that we give actors and actresses?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "But we aren't actors."

"Yeah, but don't you both lo-"

"Cara! Angel!" Derpy yelled, cutting her sentence off.

Caraphernelia turned around to see a Weeping Angel less than a foot away.

"They're coming back!" the Doctor warned them in a shout, scanning the stone figures with his sonic screwdriver. "And it looks like they need to feed! Regain your grips, both of you, and keep your eyes on them! I'll start up the TARDIS!" The Time Lord ran into the police box.

"Derpy, is is even going to work?" Cara nervously asked, her hands turning to a pale white to signify how tightly she held on.

"Maybe. Eyes on the Angels!"

The cold air swam at them and bit their faces. They kept blinking against their will. Derpy's had come back, and all 3 in total were about a foot away. The stone figures had their teeth bared and their arms outstretched, freaking the two anxious girls out. They began fading, then coming back, closer with each time.

"Allons-y," Derpy muttered.

In a flash, orbs and streams of reds, purples, yellows, and blues surrounded them. Cara and Derpy tightened their grips when the TARDIS began spiraling.

"I can't hold on!" Cara yelled.

"Yes you can!" Derpy argued.

The doors opened and the Doctor tried to see their statuses. "Derpy! Grab Cara's hand and bring her to you! I need to stay and make sure the TARDIS doesn't hit much turbulence!"

"Then what?!" she shouted back.

"Get back to the doors!"

Derpy gulped, flashed a weak smile at the Doctor, and began shuffling her feet to Caraphernelia. Once she was there, Derpy saw how Cara's expression had turned to a panicked grimace. Derpy held out her hand and she roughly took it... —

... before falling.

With a short scream, Cara's grip became tighter on Derpy's hand as she lost her balance and tumbled off of the TARDIS's outside.

"Cara!" Derpy gasped, using all of her strength to keep her from slipping any further into the vortex.

The TARDIS began to twirl and spin in the Time Vortex. Derpy swung Cara over towards the other side, jumping to her right.

Now, with only one hand to use, Derpy had to keep Cara and herself from falling.

/the Doctor\\

Something slapped the wood on the outside of his TARDIS, causing him to spin around to the opened doors. Giving up his grip on the rails to keep him from falling out, he peeked out and saw two things.

1) Derpy, using one hand to try and keep a life-or-death grip on the corner.

And 2), Caraphernelia dangling into the Vortex.

The Doctor automatically went for the closest thing, his assistants hand. There was a small chance that he could pull me both up and in at the same time, but he risked it anyway. Their fingers were just brushing when the TARDIS slammed into the outer wall of the Vortex.

Derpy slipped and fell, disappearing from view.

(Author's Note: those of you who are still not over Doomsday, including me, do not read the next line for your own sake.)

"Derpy!" he screamed, his hand still reaching out for her, "hold on!"

He hopped down, his hands gripping onto the bottom outside ledge. Derpy was doing the same, lifting her left arm towards him so he would take Cara first.

Using as much strength as he could, the Doctor lifted Cara to a spot where she could easily climb in on her own into the Control Room. Derpy returned his concerned expression. "What now?!"

He forced a laugh, extending his hand. "Your turn!"

"How?!"

"Trust me!"

The Doctor flashed a sincere smile at his assistant. She watched him for a few seconds before she took his hand.

"Just swing me over!"

"Alright!" he nodded, doing as she had said. She was extremely light, thankfully making it easier on him.

Afterwards, he began climbing himself. The TARDIS spiraled once more. He grabbed Derpy's extended hand and she pulled him inside.

He fell on the floor next to his beautiful assistant. They shared an enduring look before erupting into a fit of laughter and cheers in a tight embrace.

Cara shut the doors, panting. "You guys are insane!"

"We know!" Derpy giggled.

"And it's better off that way," the Time Lord agreed.

Cara leaned to Derpy. "How have you survived seven months of him?!"

"Pure luck," she smiled. Her smile widened when the Doctor (who had taken the time to stand up) grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.

Cara then turned to the Doctor who was dusting off his coat. "And what were we in?"

"The Time Vortex," the Doctor grinned.

"Why was it like that; just a mess of colors?" Cara asked.

The Doctor's madman grin doubled, Derpy mouthing the words of what he was about to say. "People assume that time is a strict progression of cause-to-effect, but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey... stuff."

Caraphernelia rolled her eyes. "Very specific," she snickered.


	7. Chapter 7

Doctor And Assistant (Chap. 7)

Chaptered Seven: Kidnapper Named Scarlet

/the Doctor\\

Derpy giggled, laying on her side. Cara was in between the Doctor and her, and the Doctor kept trying to avert his eyes so he wouldn't be caught staring at his assistant.

"So, what do you two think?" the Doctor asked.

Derpy picked something off of her black jacket and jeans. She looked up at him with a beautiful smile, and the Doctor felt his hearts stop. "It's so pretty here," she sighed happily. The Doctor stopped himself from blurting out "just like you".

"Definitely different than London. And you know, you two, I think it is a good time for you to-" Cara started.

"-Cara, might I have a word with you ALONE?" the Doctor asked, grabbing her hand and walking away from a confused Derpy.

They stopped after they reached a location where they could talk normally and Derpy wouldn't hear them. The Doctor turned to Caraphernelia.

"What?" she asked.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Why am I doing what?"

"Caraphernelia, why are you trying to get us to date?" he asked.

"Don't you love her?"

"Of course I do, Cara, I do. But doesn't it seem proper for me to tell her?"

"Doctor, keep it up at this rate and you'll tell her in one-hundred-and-NEVER. I'm doing you a favor."

"She probably wouldn't like me back, anyway. It won't even work," he sulked.

She out a reassuring hand on his back. "Do you want to know what she told me about her feelings to you?"

"You know what, no. Cara, if I'm going to find it out, I want it to be from a question I've asked, or something I've said."

"But-"

"-please?" he asked sincerely.

"Fine," Cara smiled.

A scream rang out and they darted to Derpy. A woman held his assistants' arms behind her back and wrapped something over her mouth.

"Get off of her!" the Doctor barked, nearly a foot away.

"Not a chance!" The sun emerged from behind the cluster of clouds and her features were shown. Long light blue hair in rough pigtails, black knee-high stockings, brown heeled boots, extremely short pale-light-blue jeans, a grey undershirt that didn't fully cover her stomach, and a black no-sleeved jacket that was the same length as the undershirt.

"I will give you one last chance! Release her!" the Doctor yelled.

The woman jerked Derpy backward and his assistant's cry was muffled, her eyes wide and filled with panic.

The Doctor whipped out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the woman. Caraphernelia was frozen out of fear.

"If you do one thing, the girl dies right in front of you!" the woman shouted.

The Doctor gulped and looked at Derpy's tear-streaked face. He couldn't let her do that to HIS assistant.

The woman smiled deviously. "Hope you have a nice nap, Doctor."

He pondered for a moment how she knew his name, but before he could react, a can overloaded with smoke rolled to them. The world went hazy; the dark green grass and light sky went out of vision, like the world was being smushed together by blackness. He saw the red, yellow, and golden leaves turned into blacks and whites. He staggered, landing on the ground. He blinked and the woman had grown... wings?... and flew upwards, Derpy still in grasp.

He reached out almost as if to hold and stop them. The darkness smothered him.

/Derpy\\

Her screams are muffled as she was flown away. The Doctor was motionless on the ground along with Caraphernelia.

She moved her mouth so violently the tape fell off. She bit the woman's arm and heard a growl escape from her throat. "Why, you little FIEND!" she barked.

Her wing gave out and they began crashing to the ground. Derpy pushed the woman under her to soften the blow.

Within a foot away from the ground the woman's good wing began fluttering. They skimmed along the ground and once they stopped, Derpy stood up and placed the tip of her shoe against the middle of the woman's throat.

"Tell me your name," Derpy ordered.

The woman's breathing was painful to watch. "Scarlet," she coughed, "my name is Scarlet."

"What are you?" When Scarlet didn't answer, Derpy pressed harder against her throat. "Did you hear me?!"

"Skyolozine! I am a Skyolozine!"

"And one more. Why did you kidnap me?!"

"I can't let him or myself down! I need you to survive! HE needs you to survive," she spat out. "Now, let me up or you'll die in a snap of your neck."

Derpy hopped off of Scarlet, who was taking frantic gulps of air. "You... Tell me about you."

"Take me back to the Doctor!"

"What a biography," Scarlet said sarcastically.

"If I tell you, will you take me back to him?"

Scarlet nods.

Derpy drew in a long inhale and talked in one breath. "My name is Ditzy Doo, but everyone calls me Derpy Hooves. I was born and raised in Ponyville, Equestria. I travel with the Doctor."

"Who's 'the Doctor'?"

"Not answering. Now, please. Take me back!"

"I'll take you back, all right."

Scarlet patted her pocket. Derpy tensed at the action, but then Scarlet pulled out a pistol and a spray bottle.

"What are you doing?" Derpy asked cautiously. The first thought was that she'd be shot, or poisoned. Or both.

Scarlet raised the bottle and sprayed the contained mist. Derpy's eyesight faltered.

Screaming. Someone was screaming?

She blinked.

The Doctor was asleep still. Would he ever wake up? A gunshot. A grunt. Someone was holding her again —

— she was laying on a hard bed. The walls were purple? Where was she?!

/the Doctor\\

Someone was laying on his chest. Around that area his suit was extremely damp.

With a soft groan, the Doctor began to sit up. As his memories began to come back the Doctor looked down...

And Caraphernelia wasn't breathing.

The Doctor gasped and sprung into action. He flipped her onto her back and began giving her CPR, afterwards checking her pulse. Another round of CPR. "Come on, come on! Caraphernelia, come on! Wake up!" he shouted. But there was no response. He began checking her body for any sign of injury, coming across a bullet wound to her abdomen.

He wiped away a tear, strictly precluding the rest.

"Wait... I'm missing something."

Derpy.

Her beautiful face flashed through his mind, chilling him to the bone. What had happened?! Where was she?!

Wait...; more images came to mind. She'd flown away? No, someone had grown wings and flew her away?

He rushed into the TARDIS. "Old Girl, we've got a mystery on our hands! I need backgrounds on all winged, human-looking species." he ordered.

The Doctor rested a palm against his throbbing forehead. They both were gone... Derpy and Caraphernelia was gone... And he was all alone.

Author's Note:

Sorry for for a shorter chapter this time around. Also, Scarlet is an OC made by one of my good friends, whom shall not be named for our sakes (haha!).

Thanks for reading,

— GothicPegasister


	8. Chapter 8

Doctor And Assistant (Chap. 8)

Chapter Eight: Rejoicing and Gaining

/the Doctor\\

He stood positioned in front of the monitor. "Are you sure we are dealing with a Skyolozine?"

The TARDIS shuddered, buzzing in response.

"Okay. So... is this the thing that took her?"

Another loud buzz.

"How about this: flicker the lights once for 'yes' and twice for 'no'."

One flicker.

The Doctor resourcefully watched the monitor as the TARDIS depicted different files installed in to her database, showing him the "SKYOLOZINE" folder.

Summary:

[Skyolozine] are winged creatures designed to look and act like normal Homo sapiens (humans). When in true form they sprout from their mid back large, hawk-like wings and gain the ability to fly.

Attacks/Weaknesses:

All Skyolozine's have a limited supply of "energy". To fill this, they absorb the memories from their victims, which can range enormously. Their personalities can change in a seconds time.

Habitats:

Most Skyolozine (because of their flying abilities) build their habitats and shelters on clouds in the sky so the chances of something happening are slim. These houses can range from small shacks to castles.

Abilities/Talents:

Skyolozine are known mostly for their strength, intelligence, and braveness.

The Doctor covered his face with a hand, his expression blank and confused at the same time. "TARDIS, would you happen to know where they are?"

Two flickers.

"Fat lot of good you aren't," he muttered. His persona perked, though, and he gasped. "You have a telepathic sensor, right?"

One flicker. A helmet dropped down suspended by 4 single, thin strings.

The Doctor flipped the telepathic helmet's 7 miniature levers and strapped the helmet to his head. Two of the four channelers went to the front and back of his head and the other two rested against his temples.

"TARDIS, I'm turning your auto pilot on," the Doctor declared, switching the lever. He spun a few knobs and wheels, sitting on the torn couch when he finished. "Okay... I'm readier than I'll ever be. You know what to do, right?"

One flicker.

"Right then. Allons-y..."

The Doctor shut his eyes tightly from the regular noises of the engines, thinking of his assistant and forgetting everything else.

"Derpy... Derpy," he repeated to himself under his breath, "Derpy..."

Memories, thoughts, and dreams of his assistant (yes, during the very few times he sleeps he DOES dream, and they ARE about her more than 99.9% of the time) filtered through his mind. They were all consisting of the same things.

Her beautiful eyes, her beautiful smile, her beautiful features, her beautiful personality, her infectious smiles and giggles... And these all brought a wave of depression to him.

"No, don't you dare," he warned himself, setting an imaginary wall to block out the emotions in his mind. The TARDIS was still trying to pick up his thoughts, so the Doctor had no choice.

He tried to remember specific times where her personality was vibrantly shown. One memory came to his mind quicker than anything else.

The Doctor curiously got out of the main control room and followed an angelic voice. It led him to the far end of the TARDIS in the Music Room, where he proceeded to listen and watch from the doorway.

Derpy was sitting on the Grand Piano's bench and delicately pressed against the keys. Her voice was quiet when she began singing again, an elegant sound emerging from between her lips.

The Doctor clapped out of awe and she jumped back. "Sorry," he laughed nervously. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"That's what you always say as an excuse," she exhaled.

"You never told me you could sing," the Doctor smiled, walking over to her.

"Well, there. I can sing." Derpy's cheeks grew red out of embarrassment.

He stopped walking, a step away from the bench. "You know, maybe I could play the piano, and you could sing?" he suggested.

"Oh, um, uh... I-I-I d-don't know..."

"Come on, it'll be fun! And I know you know all of the lyrics to 'Millenia'."

Derpy pursed her lips and watched him uneasily when he took a seat next to her. (Author's Note: I'm serious. Look this up: "Millenia – Crown The Empire [Rock Piano Cover]" by "3dgrabb" on YouTube and listen!) He began playing, grinning wildly at her. He'd always been something more than a prodigy when it came to playing instruments. "Come on," he smiled, "you know you want to."

She tried to hide a nervous blush as she cleared her throat and waited for the semi-chorus to begin. "So please just let me go, if you're done... Cause it's hope that kills this heart. So please just set me free, kill the spark..."

The Doctor laughed triumphantly, beginning to sing a deep undertone while she remained in he harmony. "I've been gone from this world for what seems like Millennia looking for nothing short of a miracle..."

They continued until the end of the song where Derpy watched him intently... and then wrapped an arm around his stomach and held him to her.

He froze for a few seconds before blushing and hugging her back.

The TARDIS needed a bit more so he reached down into his memories once more, concentrating thoroughly.

"Hmm..." Derpy sighed from in front of him, "you're smart enough. You might figure it out, right?"

"I think the key word in that sentence is 'might'," he chuckled under his breath.

"Well... I'll trust you. You've gotten us this far."

"Thanks," he laughed. They awkwardly looked around for something to use to strike a conversation with, but to no oblige, found nothing.

"You know, Valentines Day is coming up," Derpy said so quietly he almost didn't hear.

"Aren't you already busy?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"No, silly Doctor! I don't have any friends, remember?" she laughed sarcastically.

"So... are you asking... me?"

Derpy's face went completely red and she looked down, smiling. "I suppose I am."

He didn't even hesitate for a reason he couldn't understand.

"Ditzy Doo, better known as Derpy Hooves, I would be honored to share Valentines Day with you."

Derpy looked up. "R-r-really?" she stammered.

"I'd be honored," he repeated with a smile.

"Oh, thank you, thank you!" she yelled happily, embracing the Doctor.

His smile grew and he wrapped his arms around her tightly, enjoying her presence. They stayed that way before she backed away with a yawn.

"Goodnight, Doctor," she said softly with a wave, beginning to walk away. "See you tomorrow."

His hearts were pounding out of his chest and his stomach clenched into knots as he watched her enter the hallway. If he remembered it correctly from earlier on in his present incarnation and his first, it was true.

He had developed a crush on his assistant.

The Doctor wiped away a tear and opened his eyes before covering his face with both hands. The TARDIS landed, and the Doctor set up his imaginary emotion-blocking wall once more, knowing it would crumble just as easily. He was thankful it as over. Until she was with him again he couldn't think of her, or he would die inside. Because he felt he had... abandoned her. He let her down. And being abandoned is one of his greatest fears; he is scared he will abandon someone, or that someone will abandon him. It's happened before, but he still isn't used to it. And it kills him.

They arrived on a cloud in front of a purple-walled, large building. Hoping this was the correct spot, the Doctor opened the door and walked inside.

/0:6:12 (6 Minutes and 12 Seconds) Later\\

The Doctor saw a torch hung to the wall. A skeleton was nailed next to it, the flames dancing around the figure. He shut his eyes at the sight.

Another thought came to mind about his surroundings. 'Am I in a dungeon?' he asked himself mentally. 'The walls are purple. Odd choice. There are torches, no windows, the air is stale, there are cells, skeletons... I even saw a bloody knife. Medieval dungeon, if I ever seen one.'

"Well, well, well..." a woman smiled wickedly. "Look who's come to the party."

He recognized the face instantly and his fists clenched, nearing her until he was only about a foot away. Behind her was complete darkness. "Where is she?" he asked through his teeth. Just looking at his lovely assistant's kidnapper made his breathing heavy.

"A lil' too mad, aren't ya?"

"I'll ask you only once more. Where. Is. She?!"

"Who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor. Now, answer my bloody question or so help me Gallifrey I will come over there and make you."

"Scarlet. Nice to meet you, Doctor," she said sarcastically, spitting out the "t". "Now, why is she of such importance to you?"

He watched her for a moment. He had a myriad of reasons, all manifold, but didn't want to say it all to a stranger. Especially THAT stranger. "It's the least you could do for me," he muttered as an excuse. "Now hand her over!"

A whimper was made from behind the Skyolozine but it was so quiet only Scarlet had heard it. She blew a gasket, obviously annoyed. "What'd you mean that it's the least I could do for you?! ANSWER my question! Why is she of such importance to you?!"

He stared into Scarlet's eyes, his own a pair of blue (Author's Note: looking back I understand your confusion. Yes, his real eye color is brown; but the blue is an allusion to the ice, as he's already obviously full of rage and his eyes are said to look like fire.) flames, ready to burn anything in their path. "Because she's my assistant."

"Oh, is that all?"

"Yes," he lied.

"... I don't take the memories of important persons. I give two days for them to make their worths. But if this is true... I see no such reason to not kill her. I shall be leaving." She turned around.

"No, no... Wait," he said. She turned around and flashed a smile. "I'll give you MY memories in return for her safety and freedom, WITH her memories still intact. You can't lay anything on her."

"Tell me why this assistant of yours is so important or she is better off dead."

"Fine. Fine. I will tell you why," he snarled. "She is the reason I am still alive. She is the woman I would give anything to. She is the one responsible for my feelings to finally be named. She's taught me things I couldn't have learned on my own. I would do anything she asked of me. And... I love her.

"I can't rest with her in another room. I need for her to be right by my side so I can make sure she is still alive. Once she dies, I won't make it. I need her. I need her so, so badly! There are so many things I need to say. So many things I have to do. So many things WE have to do. Different planets and times and locations and mysteries! Different experiences, memories, lives. She deserves all of it and more.

"She's been bullied all of her life. She has been excluded, put down half to death... And I know how she feels, in a manner of speaking. She's... She's the love of my lives. I don't know what I can do without her. She is the core reason I still walk these planets and see these times." He wiped away a tear at the emotion he had projected and the thought of his assistant — and the thought of losing her.

Scarlet was blown away by his speech. "Wow, Doc. Moving. I'll let her out – but just don't forget that other part you promised."

She smirked, walking backwards into the shadows. Someone was murmuring and she returned with Derpy in her grasp.

/Derpy\\

"It seems after a full day your knight in shining armor has arrived," Scarlet said dryly, waking her. "And too bad, too. Because it seemed you would have had some fine memories in that brain of yours."

Scarlet grabbed her arm roughly and Derpy whimpered, pulling away. "No," she croaked quietly. But Scarlet didn't move her hand, pulling her up to a standing position and practically pushed out of her corner. Derpy fell to the Doctor and wrapped her trembling arms around him. She'd been scared, petrified beyond means.

Derpy whimpered again, as that was the only noise she could make, and the Doctor ran his fingers through her hair. "Don't worry," he whispered, tears streaming down his face, "I'm here, it's the Doctor... I'm here, everything will be okay..."

"I-I-I w...was scared," she stammered, burying her face into his suit.

"You don't have to be scared, I'll protect you," he said into her ear. "I'm here... It's okay."

Scarlet cleared her throat. "Actually, Doctor, I need you in place of her, remember? We struck a deal."

Derpy gripped tighter around the Doctor. If he lost his memories, he would forget everything about his Time Lord biology, his previous selves, how to fly the TARDIS. He would forget planets and all of these different experiences and friends and companions. And he would forget about her. Any chance she had (although to her it was slim-to-none) of him loving her back would disappear in a blink. "No... No..."

"Derpy, please, calm down. I can regain my memories!" the Doctor reassured her.

Derpy spun around, ripping herself from the Doctor. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no! You aren't taking him, Scarlet!" she yelled hysterically. In a fit of rage she launched herself at Scarlet and had to be held back by the Doctor.

"Derpy, calm down!" he pleaded. "I'll be okay!"

Derpy recalled words the Doctor had told her once. She had been in a depressed state and he had only said these things. It changed her perspective. This was four months ago, and it hadn't faded yet. "You can be so much more that this! You have so much undiscovered potential! You have so much to look forwards to! You could be so, much, more!"

/the Doctor\\

He spun Derpy around and placed his index and middle fingers of each hand to the corresponding temples of her head, shutting his eyes. She went limp in his arms and the Doctor lowered her to the ground.

"I can..." Scarlet murmured to herself.

He looked up fearfully. "If you want a chance to prove yourself, and you don't want me to blame you for her being hysterical and out of control because she is NEVER, I repeat, NEVER like that, I highly remind you now is the time, Scarlet!" the Doctor said. "Help me help her into the TARDIS!"

"Okay," Scarlet nodded. "I'll get her left arm, you get her right?"

The Doctor didn't answer; he slung his assistant's weak arm around his neck, Scarlet doing the same.

They reached the TARDIS rather quickly. They had set Derpy in her bed, the Doctor kissing her forehead secretively.

Now in the main control room, the Doctor glared at Scarlet. "Now, shouldn't we talk?" he asked firmly.

"Okay. But... I'll spare you this time."

Author's Note:

Sorry for late upload. In my journal this was about 16 pages, and I had to study for a test tomorrow. Then I forgot.

Oops!

I do want to make it clear: over time, my stories have begun growing increasingly popular throughout this website, and I want to thank you all (both, the ones who have been reading every chapter, and yes, the ones who only opens the story for their first time and skips a few chapters to see if it had ended yet) for the support. Every day when I go to check my inbox, I see reviews, PM's, favorites, follows, and when I head onto seeing how many people have viewed these stories...

It's a mind boggling number. Beginnings? 1,670 last time I check yesterday morning. In 8 days this story has reached 171+! I never imagined myself seeing that, not even in my dreams.

Thank you all so, so much,

— GothicPegasister


	9. Chapter 9

Doctor And Assistant (Chap. 9)

Chapter Nine: The Bloody Ball: Part One

/the Doctor\\

"A... masquerade? What's that?" Derpy asked.

"You wear masks, I think," Scarlet said, walking to them.

"What are YOU doing here?!" Derpy yelled.

"Derpy, calm down. Scarlet and I talked last night. She helped me get you back into the TARDIS. I know what I'm doing; she'll also be traveling with us," the Doctor said cooly.

Derpy watched Scarlet unsurely, but finally nodded. "Fine. Anyways, masquerade?"

"But did you actually get an invite?" Scarlet asked.

"Surprisingly, yes," the Doctor answered.

"How'd they get the TARDIS's address right?" Derpy asked.

"That's the question of the hour, now ain't it? Someone even called her this morning!"

"But you said only one person knew the number?" his assistant asked. "How is this possible?"

"I don't know," the Doctor shrugged. "It's a thing. Respect the thing."

Derpy snickered.

"Actually, it's just weird," Scarlet muttered.

"But weird is good. Right?"

"Well, yeah, but we can't do something blind now can we?" Scarlet shot back.

"Not entirely. I say we go. I mean, who knows? This could be a break from all of the recent dangers we've been experiencing, right, girls?"

"I guess," Derpy shrugged, watching Scarlet carefully and looking at the Doctor at the same time.

/1 Hour Later\\

The Doctor chuckled at his assistant. "You put it on backwards."

"Hey, this is my first time, ya know. Can you help? This party was YOUR idea, anyways."

Derpy's glittering red dress that she had retrieved from the TARDIS closet looked absolutely beautiful on her, but the Doctor wouldn't let himself tell her. She walked towards him and he took off her mask.

Derpy's features shown elegantly. He found himself lost in her eyes and her clueless expression. The TARDIS cheered him on encouragingly, but he remembered why he hadn't told her earlier and cleared his throat.

"Right, um... your mask. See, you'll need to look through these, so they'll go over your eyes. This stick is how you hold it to your face," he explained, adjusting the sparkling white mask.

Once it was on Derpy, she smiled weakly and asked "how do I look?"

"Absolutely beaut-" he cut himself off, a new smile covering their frowns.

"Right," she muttered, crossing her arms and staring at the ground. "Scarlet, are you almost done?"

"Girls, I've been done for a while now," Scarlet smiled, walking to them in a light blue dress.

"Scarlet, I hope you know, I'm a guy, not a girl," the Doctor said. Derpy snickered.

"Please, even with your voice dropping, Doctor, you sound a bit too high-pitched for a guy," Scarlet pointed out.

The Doctor scoffed. "Everyone's a critic," he muttered. "Hey, Derpy, still got that phone I gave you?" he asked as an excuse for Derpy to exit the room.

"In my bedroom, yeah. Why?" she answered.

"May or may not need it. Can you bring it just in case we get split up?" was his excuse.

Derpy nodded at his request, walking out of the main control room and into the bed hall. The Doctor pulled Scarlet aside.

"What was that about?!" he asked.

"What, I'm not allowed to make a few jokes?"

"Jus... Just... Try not to say thing like that to embarrass me. Especially not in front of Derpy."

"Oh yeah! Forgot about whatcha said yesterday about–"

"I got it, Doct-..." Derpy paused, surveying the scene in front of her. "...what?"

"God," Scarlet grumbled. "Yeah, Doc. I get the gist of what you said. Now get off of my wrist."

The Doctor, out of shock, felt his hand go limp. Scarlet shook it off and walked to the doors.

"Come on, you love-birds," she teased.

"Doctor, why is everyone saying things like that? Aren't we just friends?" Derpy asked, trying to play it off.

"I... I have no clue," he murmured quietly, pulling his mask over his face and following the girls out. He shut the door behind him and his eyes automatically widened.

The Doctor sniffed the air a few times. "Do you two smell that?" he asked cautiously.

"Smell what?" the girls asked in a unison.

"Something sticky... and a hint of metal? It's almost like its copper... Blood." The words fell out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

"Blood?!" Derpy gasped.

"Hey, calm down," Scarlet said. "It isn't like there is a lot of it. (She paused.) Right, Doc?"

"Maybe," he muttered, "it's hard to tell right now."

"Celestia help us," Derpy sighed. "Let's get this over with."

The Doctor nodded apologetically, locked the TARDIS, took one of each companion's hands, and began walking.

/Derpy\\

Looking around, the place was beautiful. Sparkling white floors, light-maroon-and-light-pink striped walls with a cherry wood border on the tops bottoms and middles, and a large black curtain where music and talking was coming from. People had their masks on, walking past the three travelers nonchalantly and chatting over who they thought was who and irrelevant topics.

"Why doesn't anyone notice it, Doctor?" Scarlet asked.

"I'm a Time Lord. I pick up on things like this faster than anyone else. Plus, this is a HUMAN masquerade party. We're the only anomalies here that my sonic screwdriver knows of," he explained in a shushed voice.

"I hope we're the only ones," Derpy added under her breath.

"If it is a body, don't you think someone dead or currently dying would, I don't know, attract a lot of people or something?" Scarlet pointed out.

The Doctor pushed open a pair of doors you'd see in the emergency wing of a hospital. "It all depends on how the body is found and how important he or she was."

Scarlet nodded understandingly. "Can you tell anything ABOUT the blood? Like, gender of who or what it came from, or maybe how it was spilled? DNA?"

"Um..." the Doctor sniffed the air again. "I don't know that. But your mental inferences are definitely right; someone has died." Derpy's grip on the Doctor's hand tightened. He looked at her with a concerned expression. "Are you scared?" he asked her. She kept a straight face, walking forwards and matching his pace silently.

The Doctor bowed his head quickly, staring at his hand, pursing his lips, widening his eyes, and stopping his walk in one second flat. He remained silent.

"Doctor?" Derpy asked concernedly, placing a reassuring hand on her back.

Scarlet snapped her fingers once in front of his face. "Yo, Doctor boy!" she yelled. Six more snaps. "Can you come back to Earth instead of space?"

He looked at his hand, then Derpy, then Scarlet, and now at his hand again.

"Are you so terrified you're trembling?" Scarlet asked.

"No... No, I'm... I'm not," he whispered. "Derpy, come closer."

She turned herself so she was directly in front of him. "Yes, Doctor?"

"Feel my hand."

"Excuse me?" she asked, shocked at his request.

"Jus... Just do it," he said quietly.

So Derpy took his hand, laying it carefully atop her own, and realized it was... shaking? It felt like his hand was having a seizure, but you couldn't see it moving.

"Doctor?" she asked. "What does this mean?"

"Something... new," he responded, pulling his hand away and studying it closely again.

'It's never like this. Something new is here, something different. Something we haven't seen before...' Derpy said to herself in her head, most likely mimicking the Doctor's thoughts.

"Doctor, your hand shaking; what does that mean? Is it like when a baby kicks? No way, you're pregnant, aren't you, Doc?" Scarlet teased. Derpy tried her hardest not to laugh.

"Scarlet, I am a man, not a woman!" the Doctor said. "I obviously don't know where you're getting this from." He opened a pair of doors. Inside was something that made him scream in an extremely high-pitched octave. He slammed the door shut, covering his mouth with a hand, and spun around, shocked at the pitch.

"So... what'll you name it?" Scarlet asked after a pause.

/the Doctor\\

He'd seen an entirely black mask with realistic blood smothering some of it. But the scariest thing: it was attached to a bodiless head.

"Who here doesn't like seeing decapitated heads and bloodied masks?" he asked in a try to be nonchalant.

Derpy frowned. "I can toughen up."

"I don't want to force you into anything you don't want to do," the Doctor frowned, running a guilty hand through his hair and leaning against the wall.

She smiled. "Thank you for the concern, Doctor, but I'm capable of making my own decisions."

Scarlet watched the Doctor intensely. "If you're a female, Doctor, shouldn't we call you 'the Nurse'?"

The Doctor glared at her. "I am NOT a girl!" he whined.

"Sure about that?" Scarlet laughed.

"Uh, yeah, duh! I think I would know, don't you think?" he shot back.

Derpy couldn't hide her giggling and it soon became infectious. They all laughed for several seconds before they realized they were in the midst of a crime scene.

"Right," the Doctor grimaced. "Time to investigate. Brace yourselves."

Author's Note:

Figure I'd place some humor in this chapter. So, what do you guys think of Scarlet so far? Again, I love her, haha!

Sorry for the chapter not to be uploaded yesterday. Extremely busy! I might not upload one tomorrow, either, see, I'm working on the next chapter (10) currently, and it isn't finished. Sorry, again!

Things are about to get real mysterious in Chapter 10, though. I'll leave you all with that.

— GothicPegasister


	10. Chapter 10

Doctor And Assistant (Chapter 10)

Chapter Ten: The Bloody Ball: Part Two

/(New!) Scarlet\\

The two lovebirds walked into the room, Scarlet following close behind closely. And there it was: the decapitated head.

"What should we look for first?" Scarlet asked.

Derpy looked around frantically, her eyes wide with fear. But when the Doctor looked her way it disappeared, coming back when he looked away.

"Anything and everything," the Doctor murmured, sonicing the door to lock it and setting his mask on the table.

Scarlet nodded, observing the room. Pale yellow walls, wooden floors, a curtain drawn to cover a window's view, a white-bricked fireplace that lacked wood, replaced with ash. A wooden desk has an apple that looked fake and real at the same time, a rose in a glass vase, and a few books. Scarlet saw the Doctor's eyes fall on the rose and his expression went blank. After a few seconds he remembered how to breathe and muttered something under his breath. "Doc–" she started.

He held up a hand. "–I'm okay. Let's keep working."

"What kind of building is this?" Derpy asked.

The Doctor shrugged. "Didn't say anything."

"Not even an address?"

"Well, I have an address. How else do you think I got the TARDIS at the right spot?" he pointed out, holding the dead man's mask.

"Or maybe this is a different masquerade ball, and the TARDIS only took you here because you need to be here?" Derpy suggested, nearing the fireplace in the middle of the room.

"Mmhmm... that could've happened too."

Scarlet unnoticeable ran her index finger across the black curtain, unwilling to do anything else. She felt someone had sewed it, or it had been previously ripped. Derpy stood up from her kneel at the fireplace. "Hey, um... Doctor? What is this?" she asked.

She held up a piece of cerulean plastic with a white swirl, the entire piece no larger than her thumbnail. The Doctor was by her side in a flash, leaving the head. Scarlet took to the painting of a man on a horse.

"Where did you find this?" he asked.

"Fireplace. Knocked it out of the ash like Agatha Christie did," she answered with a proud smile.

"'Agatha' who-now?" Scarlet asked, turning to face them.

"Author. Tell you about it later." The Doctor pulled out his glasses and put them on to study the piece closely.

Scarlet knew it was her chance. "NERD!" she called out.

He glared at her sternly but it went soft after hearing his assistant's giggle. "Whatever," he murmured. "Anyhow. Can I see this?" Derpy nodded, placing the piece in his hand. He examined it closely, flipping it over in his hands. "Definitely something of a mask...," he said to himself.

"Hey, Derp," Scarlet called.

"Yeah?" she answered, walking over.

"How does this painting make you feel? You know, cause you used to be a horse," Scarlet asked.

Derpy paused for a second, pondering, before laughing her response to Scarlet's question. "I was a pegasi, a pony, not a horse. Why?"

"Curious," Scarlet shrugged. The sonic screwdriver's high pitched screech filled the room. "Oh, will you knock that off already?"

The Doctor faked a girly pitched voice. "Sorry, sir, is that annoying to you?" he asked, stopping the noise.

"Well, y-"

-the Doctor pressed the button for a millisecond.

"It does annoy m-"

-the Doctor held out the noise for a few seconds.

"I-"

He pressed the button.

"I give up!" she growled in defeat.

Derpy and the Doctor laughed at Scarlet's torment. She rolled her eyes.

/the Doctor\\ (10 minutes later)

"What did we piece together? So far, at least," he asked the two.

Scarlet spoke first, adjusting painting again before joining them. "I was taking in the scene of the room, and I saw a few dents in the wall. Paint has been chipped as well. There was a stitch-mark on the curtain. Also, the painting was crooked."

"Very good," the Doctor nodded. "So far it seems to have been mostly in the right section of the room. Derpy?"

"Okay, I'm not an expert on flowers, but I'm sure clear water can't turn to a red color from a rose. Also, the books are a mess, like someone needed to find something in a rush. Totals of 7 on the top right corner of the carpet –" she gestured to the black circular rug "–, and 3 on the desk. All large books; the smallest amount was about 400 pages out of those 10. But there's an 11th. It's only 270-something pages long. Fell in front of that bookcase–" she gestured to the bookcase "– on the middle of the floor. One page, I believe it was 197, there was a few blood splatters. The page was about the main character hiding from the murderer. Funny thing is, it's about a masquerade murder-mystery too!"

The Doctor was handed by his assistant the book she explained. "Interesting," he murmured.

"Can you read the summary?" Scarlet requested. "I'm too lazy."

He rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Okay. 'Masquerade; the word itself gives you the creeps. Masks. Secrets. Lies. But for Jody, add kidnap and murder. Her best friend, Brittany, disappeared during the masquerade party. Now the wanna-be-cop has to search before it's too late.'"

Scarlet pursed her lips. "Title?"

He flipped the book over. "'The Bloody Ball' by Matthew Agutcha. He'll be a lesser known author later on," the Doctor answered. He sniffed the book and observed it carefully, looking at the head again afterwards.

"What're you thinking?" Derpy asked.

"I'm trying to piece it all together. What sense does it make to just leave the head there? Why not leave the body—unless, unless, it wants to be known!" he gasped.

"'Aha!' moment?" Scarlet suggested.

"You know it. Now, answer me this: why would you want to have a murder known?"

Derpy spoke first. "Maybe to show the person's importance?"

"Perhaps," Scarlet agreed. "Or maybe to signify a revolution? To mark freedom? Establish something?"

"All very good answers," the Doctor nodded, approaching the head. "But, now, answer me this: if the person was important, or it would signify something huge and life-changing, why would you hide the body?" As the two began saying their answers the Doctor pulled out a pair of white latex gloves from his pocket.

"Maybe to show what the person was hated, know, or loved for?" Scarlet suggested.

"I'm with her," Derpy agreed.

The Doctor adjusted his gloves. "I'm thinking we split up and look for more clues. Stay close. Derpy, stay with Scarlet and vice-versa. If you two get into trouble or find something, call me right away. You have the number to the TARDIS on speed dial. I'll be able to hear it; I'll stay in this general vicinity," he rambled on.

"Oh, um, okay. What if we get mixed up?" Derpy asked.

"Have mask checks. Every 5-minutes-or-so start a conversation to check your voices, and then take off your masks," the Doctor explained. "Just don't wander too far away."

"Bye, Nurse!" Scarlet said, grabbing his sonic screwdriver, unlocking the door, and throwing it to Derpy.

He scoffed after Derpy caught it. "Will she ever learn?" he asked his assistant after Scarlet left.

She tossed his screwdriver to him with a laugh as she left. "Probably not."

"Oh! And Derpy?" he called after her.

"Yeah?" she asked, spinning back into the room.

He paused. "Stay safe."

She smiled. "I will."

/Derpy\\

Derpy shut the door behind her, leaving the Doctor and joining Scarlet. "Nice of you to show up again," Scarlet smiled plainly. "What'd you do, wait to see if he'd kiss you?"

"No!" she gasped. "N-n-never!"

Scarlet looked at the blushing woman out of the corner of her eye. "Liar."

"Am not!" Derpy protested, passing the TARDIS on their way back (following the curtain from before to find the entrance) and entering a new hallway.

"You're also a bad liar."

"Am not!" she repeated.

Scarlet snickered, pulling open a large metal door that led to what seemed to be a stage area. The same black curtain they'd seen an hour earlier when they first arrived stared at them temptingly.

"Wanna check it out?" Scarlet asked, pulling off her mask.

Derpy nodded, doing the same, and then in unison with the Skyolozine placed it again onto herself and walked in, spreading apart the curtain.

A small group of people sat on four lone chairs placed around a circular table; a young brunette man, an old grey haired woman, a young brunette girl, and a middle-aged blonde. They laughed before the elder noticed the two women in the doorway.

In unison, everyone except for the young brunette girl quickly put on their masks.

"Child! Your mask!" the brunette man scolded.

The little girl blinked a few frantic times before standing up. "They mean no harm," she said cooly.

The blonde turned suspiciously to the elder. "Mother, should we trust her instinct?"

"When has she let us down?" the elder responded.

Derpy looked at Scarlet nervously, who shrugged in response.

"Who are you?" the child asked, walking closer.

"Oh, never mind that," the brunette man muttered. "Show these two out!"

"Yes, sir," the child said grabbing Derpy and Scarlet's hands and pulling them outside of the curtains. But Scarlet brought the two separated ends of the curtains together and wouldn't let the child back in. "Why won't you move?" the child whined.

Derpy put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, we don't mean harm, remember? Just answer us a few questions? Please?"

The girl looked up and met her gaze. "Okay, Derpy Hooves of Ponyville, Equestria. Funny place!"

Scarlet and Derpy gasped. "How do you know her name?" Scarlet asked.

"I can basically know and figure out everything, Scarlet of – ...hmm, that's a weird place. Maybe they got it wrong?"

"Wait... THEY?!" Scarlet asked.

"Yeah, Spirits. Anyways, what do you want to know?" the child asked. "I'm Lillith, by the way. Most people call me Lilly."

Derpy blinked a few times before exhaling. "Alright, then, who were those people?"

"I'm not allowed to say anything," Lilly frowned.

"Okay-" Derpy started.

"-it seems at masquerade balls, like this one, you are given names to use in place of the originals. Correct?" Scarlet reminded her sternly.

"Oh yeah! Sounds reasonable enough. The old woman is Suzanne, the blonde is Maryanne, and the man is Ryan. Pretty bland choices, if you ask me. And that room was sort of a group hangout. They only set up those chairs so far, though."

Scarlet stepped closer, forgetting her grip. "Family to you?"

"Oh, um, uh... n-no," Lilly frowned again, watching the ground. "Hmm? Yeah, it does seem a bit... thick."

"Are you talking to us?" Derpy asked.

"No, them, the Spirits," Lilly answered. "But also, doesn't the air seem more dense?"

"Well, I suppose it's cloudy," Derpy shrugged. "Out of nowhere, too."

Maryanne walked out from behind the curtain, not bothering to apologize for pushing Scarlet out of her way.

"Excuse me?!" Scarlet gasped in a yell of disbelief.

But Maryanne's blank expression didn't falter. She continued walking through the fog.

Lilly clutched her head with both hands, a groan of pain emerging from her mouth.

"Lilly?" Derpy asked, her hands on the pre-teen's shoulders.

"Do you think she needs the Doctor?" Scarlet suggested.

"No!" Lilly protested. "I don't need a doctor! He'll send me to an insane asylum!"

"Not a pediatrician doctor, the best Doctor in the universe!" Derpy smiled reassuringly, grabbing her hand and showing her the way.

/the Doctor\\

The Doctor crouched, examining the head. Blue eyes, pale skin, terrified expression. His hair was the color of a storm cloud. The door swung open, reminding the Doctor he forgot to lock it. He spun around and was greeted by his assistant, his companion, and a little girl.

The little girl was holding her head, her expression one of true pain. A thin stream of blood trailed down from her nose to her lips. "Lilly," she smiled weakly, "12 years old. Nice to meet you, Doctor," she said, her British accent making her pop the "t".

Lilly slipped and sprawled out on the ground, the Doctor rushing to her aid. "What happened?" he asked, kneeling next to her.

"We found her with 3 others behind that curtain we saw earlier. Says she's talking to 'Spirits'. I vote and say she's lying," Scarlet explained.

The Doctor scanned the 12 year old. "No...no, she isn't insane," he whispered. "She's gifted."

"'Gifted' how?" Derpy asked.

"She's psychic," he grinned, kissing Lilly's forehead, "she's a bloody psychic!"

"Wait, psychic? As in, fortune tellers and mediums?" Scarlet asked.

"Yes," he nodded. "Was she saying anything unusual?"

Derpy frowned. "She was saying how a doctor'd send her to the insane asylum, and she was talking to these Spirits about clouds thickening in the room. And the people she was with weren't her family."

"Wait, 'clouds thickening in the room'?" he asked.

"You didn't see it?" Scarlet asked him. "It ended when... what was her name?"

"Maryanne," Derpy filled in.

"Right. Maryanne walked away and it stopped. Left as quickly as it came," Scarlet explained.

The Doctor pondered this for a few seconds, trying to find a possible explanation. "Maryanne could have gotten up to fix a smoke machine. But how could it just disperse in the blink of an eye? Unless it was absorbed, absorbed by what, though?" he rambled on at his usual speed of 90 mph.

"Anyways. Did you find anything else, Doctor?" Derpy asked, looking away from the head.

He got up from his kneel. "The man, whoever it was, was terrified. So, either his decapitation was that of a surprise, or WHATever-slash-WHOever killed him was severely frightening."

Scarlet watched Lilly closely. "So... she isn't insane?" she asked.

"No, and if you convince her otherwise, you'll wish you hadn't," the Doctor snarled. He'd always been overprotective of children, ever since...-

-"Why?' Derpy asked, tilting her head out of curiosity.

"Because she's only 12. Her mind is filled with all of these different things: voices, secrets, thoughts, images, ideas, plans, emotions... it'd be a bloody catastrophe for her," he explained.

"You know," Lilly laughed dryly, "if you're going to talk about me, at least do it quietly. I don't get much sleep anymore."

The Doctor helped Lilly up with a frown. "Sorry. We were just curious."

"It's alright," she giggled embarrassedly. "Oh, who is that?" Lilly asked, pointing at the bodiless head.

"Do you think you could find out?" Derpy suggested.

Lilly paused for a moment. "John Patrick Williams, age... 66. That's all she can figure out right now."

"So now we know the victim, just half of the cause of his death," the Doctor muttered to himself.

Lilly approached the head fearlessly, her hand trailing down what was left of his neck. After 15-or-so intense seconds, Lilly nodded. "Dull weapon. There are incision marks, about 4, so on the first 4 hacks the weapon didn't cut through. It's on the left side, so the murderer must have been left handed. Now, as to the head..." she spread out large groups of hair and studied his scalp. "He was hit on the middle-center of his head. Object of metal, as his skull is weak, obviously broken."

"How do you know all of this about investigating?" Derpy asked, her eyes widened.

"I have 1 other brain if you count hers. My Spirit Guide's name is Rachel. Pretty sure she used to be a police officer. Also, I don't sleep much and read to pass the time. I love mysteries, especially about murders!" Lilly explained.

"Doesn't it scare you?" Scarlet asked.

"Now anymore. But..." she held her head again, but only on the left side. "Ugh... just tell me why?"

The Doctor raised his finger to his lips and looked at a Derpy and Scarlet. They nodded, echoing the motion.

Lilly murmured to herself before frowning. "We have to go," she whispered. "We have to stop her!"

"Lilly, calm down," the Doctor said carefully. "Can you tell us what's needing to be stopped?"

"It's something about the gas," she whispered. "It's getting into their heads? It is!" Her fists clenched, her lips pursed, her eyes shut, and the stream of blood dripped onto her white, thin dress.

"Doc-" Derpy began to gasp.

"-she's having a vision," he said firmly, kneeling in front of her again. "I can gain access into her optic nerve and her brain to see what she sees..."

He rested two fingers of each hand on her temples and shut his eyes.

(Vision)

She was flying through the halls. If you looked down you saw nothing more of her body, like she only had eyes. She continued down the hall, increasing speed with every turn. Something was thrown, like rope. Sobbing? No, laughing. Hysterical laughing. She approached a door, most likely to a closet of some sort. The laughing was coming from inside. The door opened and a woman with long blonde hair jumped joyfully onto a stool. Her icy blue eyes were widened and a crooked smile covered most of her face. She grabbed the homemade noose.

(Vision Over)

The Doctor and Lilly opened their eyes in unison. He noticed she was shivering so he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"What did you two see?" Derpy asked.

"Maryanne's made a noose, you-!" Lilly yelled. She then blinked. "Sorry. My emotions change after these visions..."

"Shouldn't we stop her, then?"

"No, Lilly frowned. "The job is done. My visions happen at least a minute later than when it originally happened."

"How do you know there still may or may not be time left to save her? She could have jumped just now!" Derpy suggested.

"Rachel," she whispered. "Tell me."

The Doctor got up, pulling a tissue off of the desk and wiping the blood off of her face. "Perhaps we should go see to the suicide?"

/(New!) Lilly\\

Rachel, with her elegant voice, warned Lilly in a firm tone as they got into the hallway. No. Go to the crowd."

"Why?" she asked in return.

"The murderer is still there as we speak. Tell the Doctor to remember the clues and start questioning!"

Lilly grabbed the Doctor's hand, making him turn around and stop his walk. "Rachel doesn't know who the murderer is. All she knows is that he or she is in that crowd. Oh, and, she's also saying to remember the clues."

He nodded, smiling. "You heard her, girls. Let's go catch us a murderer. Time for some interrogations!"

Author's Note:

Sorry for the long and late chapter, guys! Just finished the chapter in my journal. How do we all like Lilly so far? A few more mysteries are always good. Nows the time to start wondering: who did it and how?

— GothicPegasister


	11. Chapter 11

Doctor And Assistant (Chap. 11)

Chapter Eleven: The Bloody Ball: Part Three

/Lilly\\

"Before we do anything, you should probably tell them all that John died," Rachel suggested.

"And then what? The entire place'd go bonkers," Lilly muttered.

"Talking to Rachel?" Derpy asked.

Lilly nodded in response. "She thinks we should tell them people've died," she admitted.

"Not COMPLETELY a bad idea," Scarlet shrugged, "not the best, but also not the worst."

"Told ya so," Lilly smirked.

Rachel appeared next to the party's entrance area. Her long ginger hair flew to the right in an imaginary wind. Her eyes were the color of pure copper with a hint of hazel. Her skin was a pale white and made her tea-leaf-green dress stand out. She pointed to the door with a smile. "It's through here," she said in her usual, elegant voice.

"Guys, through here," Lilly explained, following her Spirit Guide.

"Please. Be careful?" Rachel asked.

"We will, don't worry. You remind me of..."

"Oh, dear," Rachel cooed, hugging Lilly. "I know that I don't know anything of their whereabouts, but it doesn't mean they're dead. Remember what I told you before."

Lilly nodded, blocking out her memories and emotions of them, continuing her walk once Rachel disappeared into just a voice in the wind again.

The murmurs grew louder and soon two opened doors came into view. Everyone was dancing, not even knowing a woman had committed suicide and a man had been beheaded.

"47 people," Rachel informed Lilly.

"Thanks," she smiled. "47 people, only 1 hour until this blasted party ends..."

"Let's get working then," the Doctor smiled. "Everyone stay close to me! If you get lost, just... Just yell."

"Sir, yes sir," Derpy giggled.

"Right then. Allons-y!"

The Doctor guided everyone to the top of the stage and grabbed the microphone. An outrageously fast-paced song stopped and everyone looked at him.

"I need to survey you all. Not a single person can leave until I say so," he explained. "If you are left-handed, please step up to the stage." Out of the 47 people, only 16 made their way to the stage. The Doctor placed the microphone back onto the stand and turned to them. "Here's the deal: if I tell you, you may go back to whatever you were doing. But ONLY if I say so." He pulled out of his pocket the piece of a mask, holding it up to one person at a time.

Lilly looked around, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up on end. An icy breeze fell over the room, the fog coming back. Out of instinct she grabbed Derpy and Scarlet's hands and held them in hers.

"This'll help if the fog gets to us. We'll stop each other," she explained.

They nodded, watching the Doctor who had eliminated 4 possibilities and kept 1 person. "You can go... as can you... you'll stay," he declared.

After all 16 people were sifted through, the Doctor directed the remaining 5 to the room Lilly's self-called caretakers were in previously. Another round of smoke sprayed the air, but it seemed no one noticed as they walked off.

Rachel murmured to Lilly: "use your ability to see auras. May help you. Remember the colors?"

"Yes. Let's do this," Lilly nodded with a proud smile.

—

Derpy and Scarlet arranged 9 chairs together, 5 to the back and 4 facing those 5.

"Everyone state your names as you sit down," the Doctor ordered.

"Michael," a bald headed man said. He wrung his fingers nervously, as if he knew he would probably be convicted.

"Dominic," a strawberry blonde said.

The brunette woman sat down, a large smile on her face. "Reese (Ree-ss)."

"Samuel."

"Melissa."

Derpy, Scarlet, Lilly, and the Doctor sat down in their 4 chairs. The Time Lord seemed to be eyeing them all at once. Of course, this was a figure of speech. Derpy was the one watching them all at once. An awkward tension hung in the room.

"Michael," the Doctor said. "What were you doing since you've come here?"

He scratched his head. "I came straight to the party area."

Lilly concentrated hard on the outside of his body. "Let me see your mask," Derpy ordered, grabbing the broken part as well. She felt them both in her hands.

Lilly looked directly at Michael now, reading his aura. A dark red echoed off of his head. "Dishonest nature. You're lying, Michael."

"No, I am not!" he protested in a gasp.

"Your dark red aura just deepened. Another lie. Where were you?!" Lilly asked, concentrating so hard to keep the reading going her fingers gripped tightly around the cushions.

"I won't talk," Michael declared.

Rachel was by Lilly's side in a flash. "Don't let him leave."

"I won't," she promised.

"Dominic," the Doctor stated.

"Correct, Sir. I was here about an hour late. I went to the library but the door was locked," he explained.

His aura went to a pale white. "He's truthful. And tired. But mostly truthful," she smiled.

"Reese? Where were you?" the Doctor asked.

Dark, muddy blue shades battled the pure and bright red. "Fear of confessions and the future overpowered her healthy ego. What are you not saying, Reese?"

"I saw her with a man an hour before the party started," Melissa snickered. Reese gasped. "Weird for a 37-year-old woman to hide in a library with a 66-year-old man, if you ask me."

"Oh! Ask her about the wedding ring," Rachel said.

"I see you have a wedding ring. Must be married, I'm presuming–" Reese nodded frantically "—. May I see it?"

Reese's dark blue aura deepened. "S-s-sure..."

Lilly took it into her hands and looked on the inside, comparing it to the outside like Rachel had taught her. "It's been taken off recently. The outside is dirty; the inside is clean."

"So the rumors are true of your affair on Andrew with John?" Samuel gasped.

Reese looked up, meeting Lilly's gaze. "I don't know how you know that." She turned to the Doctor, handing Derpy her mask at the same time. "It's true; I was with John an hour before the party started. But then my husband walked in."

Derpy gasped, holding the two in her hands. "They're the same! It fits perfectly!"

"He just yelled and left the party. N-no one was harmed, I swear!"

"I was in the party room with Melissa," Samuel smiled.

Melissa played with a lock of her curly auburn hair, finishing his sentence. "And we danced. Ask anyone!"

Lilly observed their auras: "All white with light pink. Truthful, loving, and compassionate. That's adorable."

The Doctor pondered in his head what to say. "Samuel, Melissa, and Dominic can go. Reese and Michael, I'll be needing some answers."

Once everyone left, Scarlet turned to Michael. "What are you hiding?"

He pursed his lips, shaking his head.

"Rachel?" Lilly called. "I'm going to need your help, if you don't mind!"

Rachel appeared, winked: "Happy to help." She flew into Michael.

Michael coughed. "Andrew! Andrew!" he yelled. A white aura smothered him and Rachel left.

"Okay!" Reese yelled. "I'll admit! It was Andrew!"

The room fell silent, beckoning for her to say more.

"John and I have been meeting behind his back. He caught us today. John kissed me without either if us knowing Andrew'd followed me."

"So John was killed in a jealous rage?" Rachel asked.

"Jealous rage?" Lilly echoed.

"He's already gotten thrown into prison for assault! He has a rubbish anger problem."

"What happened next?" Scarlet asked.

"Andrew chased us into the library. John went to the bookcase but I went out to try and calm him down. He grabbed me, threw me into the library with him. He knows this place like the back of his hand. He pulled up an extremely loose floorboard and found a pipe and a knife. He used the pipe to knock him out, and immediately went for the rusty knife, and..." she wiped a tear away.

"Lilly?" the Doctor asked.

"Truthful," she muttered.

"I... I saw Andrew afterwards. He told me I'd be a dead man if anyone ever found out!" Michael cried out.

"Then, after he had cut his throat once, he started yelling at me. He... He put his hands on me and threw me into the fireplace."

"That explains why the piece was in the fireplace," Derpy nodded.

"And as John lay dying because the first cut wasn't deep enough and his head was still on his body, he had the most terrified expression... and Andrew grabbed the knife again!" she sobbed.

"Where is Andrew?" the Doctor asked.

Rachel gasped, walking off. "Lilly! We got a problem!"

Lilly took off running, leaving her seat and flipping it in the process accidentally. "What do you mean?!" she called back.

"More smoke! And I just counted 6 walking off! Lilly, you must hide them, or stop them. Do something!" Rachel ordered.

"Doctor!" Lilly shrieked.

He, Derpy, and Scsrlet ran to the psychic. "What's happened?" the Doctor asked.

"More suicide smoke," she said breathlessly, "and the consumers are doubling!"

All black auras around the infected... signifying the blockage or ignorance of emotions. Unhealthiness in the soul and mind.

"They've all absorbed it! They're all... we have to stop them!" Lilly yelled. "Block the doors and windows! Distract them?"

The Doctor placed his hands on her shoulders. "Lilly, please, just calm down! We'll think of something!"

Derpy stepped forwards. "Look; Scarlet and I will start to stop them. You two - er, three, should think of a backup plan!" She grabbed Scarlet's hand and ran off.

"Okay, okay, okay, we can do that idea, too, but it won't hold for a while. Lilly, Rachel, ideas?"

Rachel spoke first. "Barricades. Set up a few bulwarks and call the police?"

"She's saying to set up defending bulwarks and call the police."

"Yes, yes, but they'll let it happen and mourn with fakery on FOX News. No — I want to know what this is!"

So the Doctor yelled for Michael and Reese to stay in their chairs and fished a scientific glass vial and a cork out of his inside pocket. He readied his hand, swiping at the fog and quickly capturing the smoke in the vial by using the cork to cap it. With a triumphant laugh and cheer he grabbed Lilly's hand and led her away from the party area.

"Girls! I'll be in the TARDIS with Lilly!" he shouts.

The door creaked open and he pulled her into the old, blue, London police box. But she wasn't expecting the surprise the Doctor had been hiding, and it was only yet to come.

/the Doctor\\

"It's bigger on the inside!" Lilly gasped.

The Doctor smiled, inhaling through his teeth in an almost-sigh. "Oh, I love when you humans say that bit."

"What is this place?"

"It's called the TARDIS," he explained, pulling out his sonic screwdriver, "it can travel anywhere in time and space. It's also bigger in the inside, as you've noticed."

"What, is it two different dimensions?" Lilly asked.

He looked over his shoulder. "Yes, it is, the exterior and the interior are two entirely seperate dimensions. But we call that 'Time Lord Science'," he chuckled, scanning the fog.

"Wait, 'we'?"

"Yeah! Derpy is my assistant, Scarlet is my companion. Other then then, though, I usually find someone, or something in K9's case, to travel with me." He found the correct information and typed it into the TARDIS.

"What are you, Doctor?" Lilly asked intensely. "Obviously I know you are a Time Lord. You just admitted it. But your aura is a bit unclear. I can't get a proper read; neither can Rachel. It's almost like you've lived... more than the average person? Is that possible?"

Her questions froze him. He stopped what he was doing for several long seconds before remembering how to breathe and continuing his typing. "I'm just so done excruciatingly hard to understand."

"No, no, it's... It's something else."

"Lilly, please?" he asked, turning around to face her. "There are some things in life you just can't understand."

"But I WANT to understand."

He watched her sternly before the expression melted. "Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"I'm an alien. I'm a Time Lord. I'm from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborus. I'm over 900 years old. I've lived 11 times and this is my 11th form. I have 2 more lives left until I die for good. I've seen more than the ordinary man would have nightmares of."

She paused. "You're right. I'm sorry."

He furrowed his brow out of confusion. "Hmm?"

"Y-you... you have seen more."

"How would you know I'm not lying?'

"Because I've unlocked more than 10% of my brain power you project it without knowing."

"Project what?"

Lilly strolled to the Doctor and held his hand. "If you could see what I see, when I want to I see these beautiful golden stems. But as you get closer to your heart - oh, heartS - it gets darker and more mysterious. You feel like a monster and it screams at me. Your inner thoughts, and these frozen depictions of your life and lives so far throw themselves at me... I'm sorry, I am so, so sorry you have to see these things," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his mid-stomach and hugging him.

He frowned. "Why are you crying?"

She laughed humorously. "I've been thinking lately I have seen it all, but you've seen more..."

He cleared his throat nervously. "What, um... what DID you see, anyway?"

She pulled back. "Tears, so many bloody tears have been shed. Different faces, an old man... the TARDIS. I see a gravestone, two stones, no... hundreds. You're a walking, never-stopping, always war veteran."

He held her to him again, exhaling shakily with a sad tone. The TARDIS buzzed, scaring Lilly. She the paused, nodded, and apologized.

"It seems the TARDIS has finished deciphering what this is..." the Doctor explained, walking to the monitor.

He paused for a moment, making Lilly walk next to him. "What do you see?" she asked.

"It says here... It's mostly an addictive depressant. But that makes no sense! They were laughing and making a game out of it!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"There are times when one reaches a point of sadness where sadness isn't shown," Lilly said automatically.

He eyed the 12-year old carefully. "How would you know that?"

She quickly spat out "Rachel", clutching her head afterwards.

"Come on, let's get back to the crowd."

/Derpy\\

The crowd laughed hysterically. People dropped to the ground with thuds, Derpy wincing after heading the dreaded noise.

"Keep pushing against them!" Scarlet grunted, holding her position to keep the only two doors closed. Banners were ripped, half hanging off of the wall. Tables and chairs were flipped. Glasses and plates were crashed into sharp heaps on the ground.

Derpy's eyes adjusted to the smoky room. She saw it, all of a sudden, coming from a nearby vent and gasped. She looked at Scarlet, a plan forming in her mind. "If this doesn't work, tell the Doctor I love him," she said quietly. "If I don't come back, that is."

It clicked in Scarlet's mind and she shook her head. "No, no, no, no you don't!"

But Derpy smiled weakly and ran into the room, grabbing an abandoned purse off of the ground. First things first, remove any at all damaging or useful items. When she picked up the glass and stuffed it into the purse it sliced into her thumb. She gasped out of the painful shock but pushed through it, ignoring the sound of Scarlet shouting her name.

"Why is she shouting my name, anyways?" Derpy asked herself out loud, stopping her walk and opening the purse. She retrieved one of the glass shards. "It isn't like I am needed. I'd be of better use if I-"

"-Derpy!" the Doctor shouted.

She blinked, dropping the shard and nearing the duct built into the wall. "Okay, how can I unscrew this?! My nails aren't long enough! I don't have the sonic screwdriver, either! But I DO have the glass!"

Derpy pulled out the glass and carefully picked the screws off. The vent gate fell off, smoke pouring out. She inhaled what was left of the thin fresh air deeply and jumped in.

She followed the routes where the smoke was the thickest. Her eyes burned and her chest pleaded for air. She was getting woozy, seeing double and coughing. But I'm the midst of it, she came across a large room.

"I could hold my breath! I could slit-" she laughed at herself.

"-Derpy!" the Doctor shouted again.

"I can end it right now!" she laughed once more, climbing into the room.

"Don't you dare! You have to stay!"

Derpy reached out to the smoke machine and pulled out the key.

Blackness.

/the Doctor\

"And you didn't go and stop her?!" the Doctor roared.

"She said not to!" Scarlet protested.

"That's why I am going after her!"

The Doctor pushed open the doors. Everyone on the floor was either dead, dying, or passed out. But they were the least of his worries. He only heard Derpy talking and he shouted her name. He dove into the vent, trying his hand at NOT dying.

Derpy coughed from further in front of him. He picked up his pace. "I can end it right now!" she laughed.

"Don't you dare! You have to stay!"

He continued into a law room when the smoke was starting to disappear. But this was different – it was being absorbed. Derpy was laid on the ground just hardly breathing. The Doctor ran to her and held her to him for a few long, painful seconds. LITERALLY painful.

He was absorbing all of the smoke in the entire buildings and he felt why everyone wanted to die so badly. It HURT.

He couldn't stop coughing. Tremendous amounts of pain shot like lasers through his nerves and knit itself into a ball in his hearts. Even after the smoke had filtered out of the room he still felt the momentum gaining speed.

But it stopped when he tilted his head and saw Derpy wasn't breathing.

For a second, the Doctor couldn't move. For a second, he couldn't breathe. He couldn't think.

"How do you revive someone? CPR," he muttered to himself. "Oh, Derpy, please don't count this as a kiss," he pleaded, laying her down flatly on the ground and elevating her chin slightly. After fighting himself with "what-it's" he checked her throat. Thankfully, it was clear. He then pinched her nostrils and placed his lips onto hers, exhaling twice before pulling away. He hovered his cheek above her mouth and watched her chest for any movement. A tear fell from his eye and drew a line down his cheek. He placed his lips onto hers and repeated the motion.

She coughed when he leaned back again and took in frantic gulps of air. He held her to him and embraced her, tears streaming down his face.

Derpy looked up at him, her eyes reddened and tired. "What happened? Where are we?"

He didn't respond, he only chuckled triumphantly.

"Doctor? Ow... my head hurts."

"It's okay... you're safe now. And, look, you stopped it!"

"Stopped what?" she leaned away.

"What DO you remember?" he asked, wiping away his tears.

"Uh... I fell asleep here. And then you woke me up."

He paused for a few moments, wondering what he should say. "I'll tell you later. How are you feeling? Like... emotion-wise?"

Her right eye went upwards and she scrunched her face out of confusion. "Tired."

"Not by any chance... sad or hysterical, right?"

She shook her head. "Why?"

"... Just checking."

"Can I go to sleep now?" she whined.

He laughed softly. "Sure." She laid her head against his chest and he cradled her in her arms. And he could have sworn he had seen a smile creeping onto her face.

Oh, how he so desperately wanted to kiss her right now.

"Doctor!" Lilly yelled, "everyone is leaving! Where are you?"

"We're in here," he laughed. Derpy didn't move at the noise.

"Sir, we're coming in to get you two," a man barked.

"That really isn't necessary. It's just an air duct; we can crawl back out," he informed.

Derpy went limp in his arms, obviously sleeping or passed out. Either way, he smiled down at her again. She was alive. And to him, that's all that mattered.

/Derpy\\

(1 Hour Later)

She sat up quickly. Where was she?!

"Hey, calm down," the Doctor said soothingly. "Look around. You're in an ambulance. Well, see, it isn't moving. We're just in the parking lot. And I figured out what building that was; a ballroom! It was a bloody ballroom!" he laughed.

A medic walked to the open doors and and glared sternly at him. "Doctor? It isn't a good idea to bombard her at this time in her recovery."

The Doctor frowned, placing the shock blanket around his assistant. "Fine," he pouted.

The medic nodded, walking off with a wink at Derpy. The Doctor eyed him carefully, putting a protective arm around her. She wondered if it was his way of claiming what was his, but shook the thought off before any daydreaming could occur.

Her vision then came back fully. He was right— they were sitting in the back of an ambulance directly in front of the ballroom, their feet dangling off of the platform. The outside of the deadly hall was beautiful, two stories of a light white marble. A sparkling ocean's view was present, the sun having set little time before.

She turned her head to the Doctor. "What happened?" she asked.

"... You saved everyone."

"What happened?" she tried again.

He groaned. "How far can you remember up to?"

"Since I fell asleep."

"Okay, well, you turned off the smoke. But you didn't fall asleep. The smoke must have been too much and you... you died."

"But... Aren't I alive right now?"

"Well, I... I gave you CPR, you were revived, and then the medics and police came," he explained slowly, trying to hide a blush by looking away.

"So... So you saved my life?"

"Now, I wouldn't go THAT far. I think if I agree it'd make me hubristic. But... yes-"

-Derpy interrupted him, wrapping her arms around the Doctor tightly. He froze for a few seconds before slowly hugging her back. She shut her eyes, happy to be in his arms again. "Thank you," she whispered.

A cop approached them slowly, seeing they were having a heartfelt moment but cleared his throat anyway. The sound made the Doctor jump out of Derpy's grasp.

"Yes?" he asked.

"We can't find the trace of the smoke. No fingerprints or DNA samples, so no leads. It's all unknown. I don't even think a sonic screwdriver'd work," he informed with a salute.

The Doctor sighed, his arm around Derpy again. "Oh, what is with you government lot always giving salutes? Lower your hand," he ordered, nodding as a "thank you" when he did so.

"But, Sir, it's an honor!" the officer reminded him.

The Doctor shook his head, whispering to Derpy: "you'd think after telling them not to salute for over 100 years they'd learn."

She laughed dryly."Guess not."

The officer walked off, Lilly taking his spot. Scarlet followed behind. "Aw... Light pink," Lilly exclaimed with an honest smile.

"'Light pink'?" Derpy asked.

"Doctor, may I have a word alone?" Lilly asked.

He pursed his lips, looking back at his assistant who smiled and gestured for him to go along. He hopped off of the ambulance and followed the 12-year old. Derpy watched him as he left, a million questions still in her head bouncing around and begging to be freed.

Scarlet finally reached the ambulance and sat next to Derpy. "What's up?" she asked.

/the Doctor\\

"Yes?" the Doctor asked.

"Light pink!"

"Light pink?"

She lowered her voice. "Light pink auras signify you're loving, sensitive, tender, compassionate, and say you're wanting or in a new or relived romantic relationship - and look, you are acting smitten right now!"

"Am not!" the Doctor protested, ignoring the blush being periodically drawn on his face.

"You were looking behind you when I explained your aura." She gasped out of nowhere, a smile on her face. "You LOVE her, don't you?"

The Doctor chewed on his bottom lip, his blush deepening. He said the first thing that came to mind. "Love is a... Love is a very DANGEROUS word, you know."

"Sure, it's dangerous. But it's also beautiful, too," Lilly cooed. "Maybe once we get back into the TARDIS you can tel-"

"-Mother of Rassilon, why does everyone want us to date?" he asked with a forced laugh.

Scarlet walked over to the Docror and cleared her throat. "Yo, Doc, Derpy wants to ask you a few things."

/Derpy\\

The Doctor sat back down next to her and she automatically felt the tension and bitterness in the air disappear. All of the problems of the world seemed to disappear one by one, and soon it was just the two of them.

"What did you need to ask me?" he asked with a concerned edge to his voice.

"What happened to the smoke? My memories seem to be coming back a bit."

He inhaled sharply when she said "smoke". "Funny. It comes back if you talk of it..."

"What does?"

They turned to each other in unison. "Remember when I told you that true story of a hospital brought to the moon by the Judoon? And I absorbed all of the radiation?"

"Did you ever get your shoe back?" she asked with a laugh.

"No," he laughed in return. "But... Time Lords have this ability to absorb the air and transfer it to somewhere else on their body. Remember how I told you I transferred it to my left foot, and then made it exit out of my sneaker?—" she nodded "–Well, I wasn't able to transfer THIS smoke out."

"So you absorbed it ALL?" she asked.

"Every last bit of it," he winced, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"What'll that do to you?" she asked, a reassuring hand on his arm.

"Time Lords are almost immune to most human things and diseases. The smoke was... full of depressant. But it also causes addiction to the less fortunate."

"Then why does it hurt you? What does it feel like?"

"Funny you asked," he smiled weakly. "It feels like hell. Lightning bolts to your hearts. And I'll probably just be a bit... off."

"Doctor, you're always a bit 'off'. You're never not," Derpy giggled.

"I meant emotion-wise," he shrugged.

His face fell over something in the distance and lingered on it. Derpy tried to see it too, but her right eye went upwards and blocked her view.

"I think we should head back to the TARDIS," he said softly.

Derpy nodded, taking off her shock blanket and throwing it behind her. She hopped off of the ambulance ledge and followed him.

/the Doctor\\ (4 Hours Later, Midnight)

As he laid in his bed, all of the Doctor's thoughts were of his assistant. Flashback after flashback after flashback of what had happened... he couldn't stop them from breaking into his mind, invading his peacefulness. He groaned out of insanity.

(Flashback)

"Doctor?" Lilly asked again. "Is Derpy okay?"

"She is now."

6 people crawled into the space (Scarlet, Lilly, 1 police officer, and 3 EMTs) and automatically rushed to the Doctor and Derpy.

"What's happened here?" the officer asked in a rough voice.

"I can't really sum it up right now," the Time Lord said with a forced laugh. "Maybe in a bit."

2 of the 3 EMTs began checking Derpy. The other lingered in the crawlway before going to the Doctor. "Went from a break into a massacre, I presume," he said with a sincere smile. Once Derpy was picked up he held out his hand and said "Charles Adams. It's nice to finally meet you, Doctor."

The Doctor graciously took his hand. "Thanks," he smiled back.

"Is she your assistant?" Charles asked, pulling the Doctor to a standing position.

"Yes," he nodded, "the TARDIS crashed in Equestria. She was a Pegasus — a Pegasus, can you believe that?!"

Derpy groaned softly and he ran over to her, grabbing her hand as if to reassure her he was there. One of the EMTs turned to him as if to say "get away" but the Doctor shot him such an overprotective glare he bowed his head and walked on without Derpy, becoming the leader.

"So, how do we get Derpy out?" Charles asked.

The Doctor scanned the room and scoffed. "The door."

Scsrlet crossed her arms. "You mean to tell me that there was a door this entire time, yet you didn't tell us? We crawled through a VENT!"

The Doctor glared at her.

"Right, right. Not the time. Sorry."

The Doctor walked to the metal door and soniced it. It slammed open, hitting the wall and causing an echo to occur. Derpy moaned at the noise and he frowned.

"Doctor, is it okay if we lay her on the stretcher so we don't have to carry her?" the first EMT asked.

"You guys brought in a stretcher?" the Doctor asked in return, using 1 hand to sonic the broken lightbulb into lighting the room.

"Yeah. But can we?" the second asked.

The Doctor nodded, watching as they laid her on the portable bed closely, waiting to pounce if they did one thing wrong.

"Sir, if you don't mind me saying, you're very overprotective of her," Charles said quietly.

"Only the best for my assistant," he laughed, leading the way through the thin corridor, all the while holding her hand.

(Flashback Over)

The Doctor heard footsteps, quiet and soft in the TARDIS. 'Could be Lilly,' the Doctor told himself mentally, slipping from under the covers and walking into the hallway as well, 'but I will check anyway.'

Author's Note:

I am so, so, so, so, so, so, SO sorry about such a late update! No, I didn't forget at all, I swear. I couldn't type this up in time on my ipad.

So, tell me now you like this so far and what I can fix or make better? Or, hopefully, what I am doing right?

Thank you,

— GothicPegasister


	12. Chapter 12

Doctor And Assistant (Chap. 12)

Chapter Twelve: There's A First For Everything, Lilly

/Lilly\\

"You know," Rachel smiled, sitting on the edge of Lilly's new bed in the TARDIS, "they have a library onboard."

Lily looked up from her moping, crossed-leg position and smiled back at her Spirit Guide's friendly apparition. "Really?" she asked excitedly.

"Yup! Come on, follow me."

So Lilly hoped off of her bed and followed Rachel down the hallways that seemed to go on forever. "How does one survive living in a place as tortuous as this?" she asked Rachel quietly.

"Depends," she shrugged. "At least you won't be bored."

"I suppose."

Lilly continued into the red-velvet-colored walled room. There were three floors, each with what seemed to be hundreds of bookcases on each and plenty of seats and tables. "How does he find the time to read? I mean, he wouldn't have a library if he didn't read. And the place is so empty! Does he expect many people to sit in the library? Oh, Lord, listen to that echo..."

Footsteps from behind her caused Lilly to turn around, jumping back out of fear when she saw the Doctor in the doorway. "Lilly, I'm over 900 years old, like I've said before. I've had too MUCH time to read," he laughed.

With a nervous laugh at how gullible she felt for being so easily frightened, Lilly cleared her throat. "Sorry. I-I know it's too late to be wandering around-"

"-say no more," the Doctor smiled. "But that does ring a questioning bell in my head — why AREN'T you asleep? Aren't you tired? I mean, cause it's midnight, and you're only 12."

"Can't I ask the same? Cause it's midnight, and you're only 900," she shot back.

"I asked you first," he reminded her.

Lilly groaned in defeat, but then pointed to her head. "I have insomnia."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Your turn. Why are you awake, Doctor?" She dropped her hand.

He pointed to his head as well mockingly. "Time Lord."

"What does that have to do with not sleeping?"

"Time Lords have a part of their DNA that doesn't give them such a great need of sleep compared to humans. We get tired, but only sleep for a few hours if we are lucky."

Lilly nodded in understanding.

"I think I'll leave you to read," he said, turning around beginning to walk –

– "What is it like?" she asked.

He froze, turning to face her in the doorway once more. "Hmm?"

"What is it like? Traveling with you, I mean."

"Honestly?"

"Honestly."

He sighed sadly. "It's dangerous. Entertainment comes with a price."

"How dangerous?"

"People have died. Many good people have risked their lives."

"And yet you still invite people to travel with you?"

He scoffed. "Crazy, right? Where'd you like to go?"

"Excuse me?"

The Doctor smiled. "I give them a chance to choose when and where we go. They realize they have all of time and space to go through. And then they forget the future and give me a location." He paused. "I'll leave you to your reading now."

The Doctor walked off, leaving Lilly in a daze.

"He's a pretty mysterious man, isn't he?" Rachel asked. "And now you'll travel all of time and space with him."

Lilly laughed, repeating some of the Doctor's words. "'They realize they have all of time and space... they forget the future'. Yes... Mysterious," Lilly smiled.

/Derpy\\ (9:16 A.M.)

"So, you basically told Lilly everything about you so far?" Derpy asked the Doctor.

"Well, not everything. Just some background, a summary."

"Still a bit much for a 12-year old," Scarlet reminded him.

"She can see things we can't see and hears things we can't hear, all bundled up with her insomnia diagnosis. I'm sure she can handle it," the Doctor muttered.

Derpy changed the subject. "... Did she say where she wanted to go?"

"No."

"Where is she?" Scarlet asked, looking around.

Derpy and the Doctor stoop up and said "I'll find her" in unison.

The Doctor nodded. "We can both go, then."

"Or not," Scarlet shrugged.

"Hmm?"

Scarlet gestured to Lilly, who was rubbing her temple and walking in.

"Lilly? Everything alright?" Derpy asked, stepping closer.

"I'm fine!" she spat out. Lilly then widened her eyes and frowned. "Sorry."

The Doctor eyed her suspiciously. "What were you doing?"

"I was reading those old Sherlock Holmes novels. I would have finished 'em, but Rachel kept spoiling the endings," she explained with a weak smile.

"So you like Sherlock Holmes?" the Doctor asked, a plan forming in his head.

"Obviously," she laughed.

"Wanna meet him?

/Lilly\\

Lilly paused, Rachel smiling. "He's telling the truth. He can go anywhere, see anything, meet anyone."

"For real?" Lilly asked.

Derpy nodded, "he can do anything."

"Okay. If this is a joke, someone laugh because I need to know the truth," Lilly ordered.

"Lilly, you can see if we are lying or not," the Doctor reminded her, "you tell us."

And she was wrong: they were telling the truth.

"But how?"

"The TARDIS can go anywhere. Trust me, I know her like the back of my hand," the Doctor laughed.

"Wait, the TARDIS is a girl?" she asked.

"Yup!" he smiled.

Scarlet shook her head. "Lill', all men make their transports and vehicles females," she laughed. "Maybe it's comfort because they're too nerdy to find a proper date."

The Doctor muttered: "not cool."

Lilly giggled. "When are we going?"

"We can go now, if you'd like," the Doctor suggested.

"Then what're we waiting for?" she asked, leaning against the railings.

"I dunno, maybe for the Doctor to yell–" Scarlet started.

"–Allons-y!" the Doctor finished.

"That," Scarlet rolled her eyes.

(London, 12:59 P.M.)

"Well," Rachel said, stiffening. "You're home. Sort of."

"Thanks for the reminder," Lilly muttered sarcastically.

"No problem," she said in the same tone.

"Rachel again?" Derpy asked, joining her empty stare at the myriad of people.

Lilly nodded, leaving it at that.

The Doctor walked out last, his long brown coat flying behind him. He didn't seem to notice. "Ready to go?" he asked.

Lilly nodded again, stopping her motionless, independent search.

"Hey, don't be down. It'd only ruin your mood for when you see Sherlock. Find the bright side of the situation, maybe?" Rachel whispered, as if Lilly wasn't the only one that could hear her.

"I just can't believe it's almost been two years..." she whispered back.

"I know, dear, I know."

Scarlet drummed quietly against her leg in a four-beat rhythm. The Doctor and Lilly stared at her and out of the corner of her, Lilly saw his aura grow black – filled with coldness and hatred.

"What?" Scarlet asked, stopping her beat and looking up.

The Doctor shook his head. "Nothing."

Big Ben began ringing obnoxiously, giving them all a shock back to life. But Bridge Street had never been so populated before, and Lilly seemed to have all the time in the world to search for them. However she stopped herself, telling her mind it wasn't possible.

"Right," the Doctor smiled, oblivious to the mental war going on inside of the young girl's head. "Perhaps we can set off?"

Lilly froze. Turned her head.

"He should be there any second now. Mind you, he isn't exactly the same appearance-wise," he continued.

"Alargealienencasedinmetalwithoneeyeandnolegs!" Lilly screamed, squeezing her eyes shut and keeping her clenched fists at her side. The thing she described glided closer to her, now a mere foot away. Whatever that eye thing was on it's head seemed to be charging up, about to blast her with whatever power it had. "No, stop! Stay away! Stay away!"

The Doctor ran to her, grabbing her shoulders. "Lilly! What do you see?!"

/the Doctor\\

She whimpered, her teeth chattering, and clutched her head tightly on both sides as if she wished to make her head shrink. He tried to keep her steady but she began staggering, falling out of his grasp. She gasped, jerked backwards, and fell. The Doctor chased after her.

"Oh, my gosh..." Derpy muttered, covering her mouth with her hands.

The Doctor cradled Lilly in his arms while in a kneeling position. He looked at her before directing his gaze to his assistant with watering eyes. "Derpy, Scarlet, there are pills in the med bays cabinets. I need them."

Scarlet nodded, grabbing Derpy and running inside.

The Doctor watched Lilly again, exhaling shakily. His thoughts were of how his children –

– 'No,' he told himself sternly.

Lilly whimpered again. "Doctor," she whispered in an agonized tone.

The Doctor held her to him, shutting his eyes. "It's okay," he promised, "it's all going to be okay..."

"It hurts," she winced, pulling away.

"I know it does, I know it does," he lied.

"I'm so scared..."

"You don't need to be scared. Please, what did you see?"

"Rachel says you know what I saw. You've seen them plenty of times before..." she reminded him, now going limp once more.

A thin stream of red trickled down starting at her nose again. He wiped it away with his thumb, sitting and placing her on his lap. He broke down crying as memories kept washing and slamming into him, one by one. Her chest only moved up and down at an extremely slow rate.

/Scarlet\\

"Come on!" Derpy yelled to Scarlet.

A plan struck the Skyolozine and she grabbed Derpy's hand, stopping her from walking. "Slap me right now!"

"Why?!"

"Do it!"

Derpy noticeably gulped, winding her arm back. Her open hand collided with Scarlet's cheek and she growled, docking over. "What's happening? Did I hit you too hard-"

- Scarlet's wings sprouted from her back and she took Derpy again. "Skyolozine wings grow once we have a wave of anger or rage flow through us. So, where's the med bay?"

"I'll show you; just go!"

Scarlet nodded, taking flight.

/the Doctor\\

About 4 minutes later Lilly's pulse gained speed, stopping at an appropriate and safe level. "Oh, thank Rassilon," he smiled weakly. "Lilly? Lilly, can you hear me?"

No response.

"Lilly?!"

The Doctor shut his eyes in defeat, opening them to the sound of the TARDIS's doors creaking. Derpy and Scarlet emerged empty-handed. "We couldn't find anything in the med bay for her, just sleep aids," Derpy panted.

The Doctor nodded. "Think we can put her in the med bay to heal or do what she needs to do?"

"Not a bad idea," Scarlet shrugged.

(2:43 P.M.)

The Doctor was being watched by Derpy, Scarlet having left the med bay minutes before. "You know," she started, "you're very caring and emotional when it comes to Lilly."

"Lilly is the girl that deserved to be cared for and treated emotionally," he shrugged weakly.

"Nah, come on. Doctor, it's something more than that."

He met her gaze. "Could be."

"There is something you aren't telling me. What is it?"

The Doctor let go of Lilly's hand and wrung his fingers together. "There are a lot of things I don't tell you. That I don't tell anyone."

"Which are...?"

He gulped. "Irrelevant."

"Doctor. I know you know I know that you are just nervous or ashamed to admit it. If it helps, I won't judge you."

The Doctor smiled, stifling a laugh. "You're right. Remember how I said I had run from my family? That was a lie."

/Lilly\\

Lilly couldn't open her eyes, only hearing what was going on around her. It seemed only two people were around her, wherever she was: the Doctor and Derpy.

"That was a lie," he admitted.

"About running from your family? How do you lie about that?" Derpy asked.

"I'm technically not lying COMPLETELY."

"Go on, please."

The Doctor drew in a long breath. "Do you... Do you know much of the a Time War?"

'A Time War?' Lilly asked herself. 'Would that be like the Civil War?'

"Well, um, no. You only told me there was a war. And that was that."

"Well it wasn't just that. My family and my entire race died."

Derpy gasped. "So you're the..."

"The last, yes. And Lilly reminds me of... of my daughter."

A chair scraped across the floor. Footsteps. "I'm so sorry," Derpy said quietly.

"You don't have to be," he said, but it was muffled. Their light links auras shone so brightly it hurt Lilly's eyes and forced them open.

Lilly blinked a few times. "Doctor?"

"Yes?"

Derpy pulled away from her embrace with the Doctor. "Oh, you're awake, good!"

"Doctor, they are still coming. I want to run, we need to run," Lilly whispered. Her head thumped against her skull like her heart was replacing her brain and she had just ran three miles without stopping.

"What's coming?" Derpy asked.

"I don't know what they are called," Lilly admitted.

"Doctor?" Derpy asked for help.

"What do they look like? the Doctor asked slowly.

"Gliding metal with... something inside."

He blinked, clearing his throat. The next word was dry, forced out: "Daleks."

Derpy gasped again. "It can't be!"

"It is," Lilly and the Doctor said in unison. Lilly watched the Doctor's aura closely; a dark and muddy gray.

He was scared.

"Lilly, do you know where they are?" he asked.

"Close. They are really close."

"How close?"

She concentrated before saying "Bridge Street."

He muttered something under his breath. "We have to get them."

"What?"

"If we don't stop the Daleks, no one will. No one other than us can. They'll kill all of Earth! London, at least. But they can kill Earth too!" he explained. "Derpy, help Lilly out a bit. I'll be back. Control room in 5 at the most?"

"In 5 at the most," Derpy repeated with a nod.

/the Doctor\\

The Doctor ran out of the med bay. "TARDIS! Get ready! Put your shields up!" he ordered.

"Fight?" Scarlet asked, running with him through the halls after catching up with him.

"You know it. I need you, Scarlet, to keep Lilly safe. You two will come with Derpy and I but only so I know where you are. Understand?"

"Sir, yes sir!" she laughed. They both ran into the control room where the Doctor flipped the override levers. "What're you doing?"

He grinned like a madman. "Watch this. It'll override the speakers on Bridge Street." The Doctor typed into the keyboard "Earth; London; Bridge Street" and switched on the microphone. "If you are human, I highly suggest you cover your ears."

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the speaker. A high pitched sound rang out before Lilly came to him, running into the control room.

"Stop!" she screamed, pulling Derpy along with her.

The Doctor did as he was told with a confused glare. He switched off the microphone before speaking. "What?"

"Your plan? Did you even have a plan?"

"Yes! I was going to–"

"–use the sonic screwdriver to either (a) draw them to you, or (b) affect the Daleks because they are sensitive to high octaves?"

"Well, maybe, but–"

"–they are here, they are coming to us. They are coming to YOU!"

/Derpy\\

Lily's outburst shocked everyone. They shared the same blank stares before the Doctor gulped.

"Shall we find the Daleks, then?" he suggested.

Author's Note:

Again, again, I know! Late! I was late — AGAIN! (God, I sound like Amy Pond. Or maybe the Doctor. I'll say both.) But, yes, sorry for late upload again. Maybe every second day I'll post a chapter.

Little note, here, though: I recently ran out of space in my current journal, so I'll need to start fresh in a new one. I might not upload tomorrow or the next day depending on what kinds I find. Also, I know how much I over use Lilly and her headaches. My apologies – one of the main reasons I made her the way she is (psychic, insomniac, you know, the usuals) is for drama's sake.

And tell me how you feel and what you think about Scarlet. Why was she drumming against her leg!? Hmm... the possibilities are endless.

Amd some drama is about to happen between our lovely smitten group. Well, by that I mean Derpy and the Doctor. Can't say they are a 'lovely smitten couple' cause they aren't a couple, sadly enough.

Thank you for the continued support,

—GothicPegasister


	13. Chapter 13

Doctor And Assistant (Chap. 13)

Chapter Three: One Broken Hand, Three Broken Hearts

/Lilly\\

"Yes, you all heard me right," the Doctor laughed. "Surprised at your shock, though. I thought you'd know that'd be my backup plan. If the fight wants to come to us, we'll go to them instead."

"Told you he would go mad one day," Rachel snickered.

Lilly rolled her eyes at Rachel, but then met the Doctor's gaze. "How do you kill a Dalek?"

"It's eyestalk," Derpy said automatically. "Sorry, Doctor. I wanted to be the smart one for once."

"No problem," he laughed again. "So, how about we head out? Just follow my lead."

The Doctor led them out of the TARDIS, now once again in the cold autumn air. A light wind blew against them and they continued along the bus stop they'd (for some reason) teleported to after Lilly's semi-injury. They had been just along the pier before.

"What's the game plan?" Scarlet asked.

"We show up, we take care of business, we leave," he said sarcastically. "Kidding. We'll assess the situation and figure it out from then."

"Like always," Derpy nodded.

Rachel appeared alongside their group. "I want you guys safe. Please? Listen to what they say?"

"Yeah, yeah, Rachel," she smiled.

"I feel like I'm walking into a war right now," Scarlet said.

The Doctor frowned, an empty sigh escaping his lips and forming a sentence. "Yeah... me too."

Derpy lagged behind, staying next to Lilly. "Feeling a bit better?"

"Meh, somewhat," Lilly responded.

"How much of our conversation did you hear?"

Lilly lowered her voice. "The first thing I heard was 'that was a lie'."

Derpy shook her head at the ground. "Please don't bring it up to him. The war, I mean. It's been, what, 500-something years? And he hasn't made any good improvements towards it."

Lilly nodded. "No problem."

"You're close," Rachel warned as they crossed the street in the direction of Big Ben.

"Closer," Lilly repeated. She continued to follow the Time Lord through the tortuous paths of people.

The Doctor kept a blank stare, locking on something in the distance. "I found one."

/the Doctor\\

"If I aim correctly," he muttered to himself, pulling out his sonic screwdriver and focusing it on the lone cyborg.

"How is no one noticing it?" Scarlet asked. "The Dalek is there, but they are just walking by."

Lilly shrugged a moment later. "Maybe they're being thick," she suggested.

The Doctor, now reminded of his first fight in his tenth incarnation, laughed at her suggestion. He then perfected his aim and fired.

The Dalek exploded, flames starting on top. People screamed, fleeing from the scene. As if on cue, gray, dark storm clouds rolled in over them. The Doctor grimaced.

"They're here," Lilly said breathlessly at the flying air carrier. "Doctor, what now?"

"Wait for it..." he ordered. Once everyone on Bridge Street took to a shelter or ran off, he smiled. "Run."

Derpy laughed triumphantly, mimicking the Doctor's run as he sprinted to the Daleks.

"Scarlet!" the Doctor yelled.

/Scarlet\\

Only hearing him say her name shocked Scarlet into action. She pulled Lilly aside, gripping her wrist.

"What're you doing?" Lilly asked.

"You are staying with me," she explained.

Lilly paused, probably listening to Rachel. "Doctor's orders?"

"Doctor's orders."

/Derpy\\

Derpy smiled at the Doctor. For some reason, whenever he ran, she thought he looked incredibly cute. 'If we weren't running to a Dalek, I would SO kiss him,' Derpy sighed in her mind.

"Derpy, stay close!" the Doctor said, having to yell over the sounds of Daleks teleporting down to Earth.

"I know," she laughed back.

They finally reached a point where the Doctor stopped running, halting to a stop. They were at most 2-3 feet away from the group of Daleks which had. To have around 28 inhabitants.

One Dalek rolled out of the group. It's eyestalk grew into a dark sky blue, almost mimicking the Doctor's sonic screwdriver. After a few tense moments if utter silence, it began speaking. "It is the Doctor!"

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Really?" he asked sarcastically, his hands on his hips, "I didn't know!"

Derpy bit her lip to hold back her giggle at his childish behavior, but the Dlake didn't have to do the same. "A need for sarcasm and humor is as insufficient as living," it croaked.

"Geez," he inhaled through his teeth, "tough crowd. Your emotional levels must be neck-and-neck with the Cybermen." He paused, adding ice into his glare at the lone Dalek. "Why are you here?"

A second Dalek rolled next to the first. "The Doctor was here in our detection scans–"

"–yes, yes, and you've come to 'exterminate' me, I know," he said quickly. "But why do you want to kill me?"

"The remaining lot of us have a purpose in life. Ours is to kill you," Dalek 1 said flatly.

"That was pretty deep..., for a Dalek," the Doctor shot back. Speaking of "shot"...

/Scarlet\\

"...,for a Dalek," the Doctor snarled. In the blink of an eye a laser was heard zooming past the Doctor, landing a centimeter away from Derpy's foot. He growled out of rage, and Scarlet grabbed Lilly's hand to direct her to hide behind a tree.

But Lilly gasped, pulling Scarlet down so she could whisper in her ear. And what she whispered in her ear? "War has begun."

/Derpy\\

The Doctor looked up from the indented cement caused by the laser. "I will give you one last chance. Don't harm one more person, and LEAVE — right now," he growled.

But Dalek 1 shot it's laser once more at Derpy's feet. The Doctor grabbed her hand and pulled her to a wall of Big Ben, lasers streaming past them left and right. Derpy was placed against the wall, the Doctor only a centimeter away from her. "D-D-Doctor?" she managed to stutter out, her cheeks growing extremely hot the longer he was there. Oh, how she so desperately wanted to kiss him...

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Derpy, there's something important I need to tell you. So important, that it may change your life forever," he said breathlessly.

"Y-Y-Y-Yes?"

He gazed into her eyes. "I... Derpy... I... Oh, this is new."

"What is?"

He gulped, flashing a weak smile. "Derpy, I don't know what to do."

Derpy kept her concerned expression vibrant to hide her disappointed feeling at what he could have said. "About what?"

A laser shot right by them, singing a stray strand of hair from Derpy's ponytail. The crowd of Daleks changed "Exterminate!" over and over countless times. "That," he said, pulling out his sonic screwdriver and jumping forwards to the crowd he fired his weapon in return for them firing theirs. Derpy and the Doctor dodged, trying to ignore Lilly and Scarlet watching them intently.

"Exterminate! Exterminate the Doctor! Exterminate!" the chanting changed. A laser swam by the left side of his head, stunning him for a millisecond before he regained his focus, aiming quickly and shooting even faster. 4 more Daleks burst into flames and the other 24 fired at an increasing speed.

The Doctor grabbed Derpy's hand and pulled her to the wall again. "It's like we're in 'the Matrix', huh?" he laughed.

"Do you know what to do now?" she asked, oblivious to his allusion.

"Yes, but don't follow my lead. What I'm about to do is stupid but requires lots of skill in unison," he explained.

"What are you going to do?"

He smirked during a pause. "I'm the Doctor. I'll do something stupid and then make a rebuttal saying it was smart when really I could've gotten myself killed," he laughed. "And do you know the first thing I will say?"

The Daleks were missing them by inches with their lasers. They were coming closer; their chants were becoming louder. Derpy said the first thing on her mind: "Allons-y?"

"I've taught you well," he grinned insanely. "Here,—" he tossed her his sonic screwdriver, "–you'll know what to do about it."

She nodded once as her answer, trying to find a grip on the metal object

He watched her enduringly before yelling "Allons-y!" and again jumping in front of the crowd. He raised his arms high above his head and yelled a the Daleks momentarily paused their shoot is, "look at me! I'm a target! Derpy, now!"

Derpy jumped out as well, all of the Daleks turning from her to the Doctor. Derpy took this time to shoot 3 or 4 before they began firing again. She tossed his sonic screwdriver back to him.

/Lilly\\

Lilly watched from behind the tree with Scarlet, completely enchanted with how well they worked with each other. But in the blink of an eye, everything changed.

As his sonic screwdriver flew from my Derpy's hand to his, one of the remaining 14 Daleks blasted it. It landed a few feet away, but the Daleks had cornered them against another wall.

Derpy looked at the Doctor fearfully. Lilly saw Scarker tense; she wanted to help. But the Doctor shook his head at the Skyolozine as though he WANTED to be shot.

"Lilly, grab the screwdriver and toss it back to him when I say so," Rachel ordered.

"How?"

"Trust me."

Before Scarlet could ask if she was talking to Rachel, the apparition herself appeared in her usual elegant form. Scarlet gasped.

Lilly smiled. "Scarlet, meet Rachel. And Rachel, you know Scarlet already."

Rachel waved. "Hello!" she smiled, running to the crowd. "Daleks!" she called out, changing her form to look and sound exactly like the Doctor himself. "You've got the wrong man! I'M the Doctor!"

The Daleks' attentions tilted to Rachel and they began chanting their battle cry, shooting their lasers. But they rendered useless – she was already dead.

"Lilly, now!" Rachel yelled.

Lilly nodded, running to the sonic screwdriver and holding it in her hands before tossing it to the Doctor. All but 1 Dalek were crashed into a domino effect of fire.

/Derpy\\

The Doctor pressed the button, no one noticing the single Dalek who rolled out of the way just in time to be saved from the first Dalek's explosion. Afterwards, everything seemed to stand still. The Doctor stared at the fiery remains, deep in thought. Lilly and Scarlet wouldn't move. The woman who said she was the Doctor was gone. Everything was silent.

Except for the sound of the Doctor's yell.

/the Doctor\\

He'd been counting how many were fallen. 26... 27... weren't there 28? That's when he turned around to Derpy and saw the 28th Dalek gliding to his assistant. He yelled her name but their reflexes weren't quick enough. The Dalek quickly stopped about 2 feet away and issued it's own self destruction.

Derpy was thrown forwards into the Doctor's arms. Lilly and Scarlet automatically rushed to them, helping him up to a standing position.

Derpy whimpered, looking down at her hand. "Doctor?"

His expression lacked belief. "No..."

"My hand hurts," she sighed, her eyes watering. "It really, really hurts..."

"Oh, Derpy," the Doctor said softly, pulling her to himself and embracing her. "I'm sorry, I could've pushed it away, I could've-"

"-stop," she giggled into his chest, a blush on her cheeks that he mimicked. "There was nothing you could have done. So stop blaming yourself."

He held her arms in his hands and looked at her. "But... I could've-"

"-eh, eh, eh," she warned, making them both laugh softly.

He hugged her one last time. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," he whispered into her hair. She shook her head to hide a smile. "Do you want to go back to the TARDIS and figure out what to do there?"

She nodded, exhaling shakily at the pain in her hand.

(Later On)

"Alright, Miss... Delilah Hoover? Funny name," the male nurse named Joshua Bennett laughed. "X-Rays are back. Just a break between your-"

"-can you explain it in a language I'll be language to understand his time?" Derpy requested, causing the Doctor (whom was beside her in a chair) to chuckle under his breath.

"Oh, okay," Joshua nodded. "The bone that connects your wrist and hand together. That's the broken one. And how did you get it this way, anyhow?"

The Doctor answered for her since he had already thought of a human cover for them. "Fell down a flight of steps outside."

"Ah," the nurse nodded. "Can't blame her. We got quite a bit of ice this time around."

Derpy nodded solemnly, trying not to think about the Dalek that had caused her injury. The Doctor saw her expression fall and found a lock of hair, twirling it around in his fingers. His thoughts sauntered off to what to do next.

New planet, perhaps? Maybe, just maybe, he'd-

No. It was completely clear.

He had to drop her off back at Ponyville.

"And how do you two know each other?" Joshua asked.

"Friends, just... just friends," the Doctor muttered.

"Yeah... just friends," Derpy echoed.

The Doctor frowned down at his assistant, letting go of the lock of golden hair and watching her eyes for reasons even he couldn't comprehend fully.

"Good news, it isn't permanent. Bad news-"

the Doctor tensed at the mention of 'bad news' when referring to Derpy.

"-,we'll have to put it in a cast."

The eager Time Lord tensed again. "How long until that comes off?"

"Uhm... About six - to - eight weeks. Why?"

He pursed his lips, Derpy smiling as an apology to Joshua. "He's a bit... weird."

"I see," Joshua sighed.

The Doctor wasn't weird. Well, he wasn't as weird enough as he should be for an alien, he supposed. But he wasn't acting weird, he was trying not to cry. If he looked down, he saw a hurting young woman whom he cared for with all of his two hearts. But if he looked away, well, he couldn't, because her eyes were just so enticing. He found himself trying to see how she felt, see what she was thinking.

Or maybe it was because he wouldn't see them after this.

"Well, I'll need to bring Delilah to our Set Room. And, you, her... friend, stay here."

The Doctor pouted, getting out of his chair next to her hospital bed and grabbing her good hand. He helped her out from the pale green sheets, a hand on the center of her back to keep her still even though it wasn't her back that was hurt, it was her hand. He didn't care, and quite frankly, it seemed neither did Derpy.

He led her to the door where Joshua took over. The Doctor then walked back over to his chair, slumped against it, and rested his head on his hand. It was going to be a long amount of waiting.

Lilly and Scarlet were in their chairs too wringing their fingers together. "So, just waiting?" Scarlet asked.

Lilly sighed out of disbelief at Scarlet. "Seriously? Be happy she's still alive. Who cares if we have to wait?"

The Doctor stayed silent, watching the door from his chair. He cared. He cared that he had to wait.

(Even More Later On, Back In The TARDIS)

The Doctor sat on his bed, his hands cradling his own face, trying not to let a single tear drop as he watched the ceiling out of the tops of his eye. He could not stand looking at his assistant at the moment. 'I shouldn't tell her,' he thought to himself. 'I can't tell her something of that severity and then-'

-"Hey, Doctor," Derpy smiled, opening his door and walking in.

"Oh, hey, Derpy," he answered in a tone that had a forced calmness, his eyes now on the wall in front of him.

"You excused yourself to your room over an hour ago. Is everything fine? Is this a bad time?"

"No, um-" he coughed mid sentence to clear his throat, "-no. It's okay. Everything's fine." His hands fell into his lap.

She took a seat next to him in the edge of his bed and turned to him, using her non-casted hand to wipe a strand of hair out of his face. "No, it isn't." She dropped her hand.

"Yes, it is."

"Doctor," she sighed, gazing into his brown eyes, "you're obviously trying not to cry."

"No, I'm not."

"Doctor. I know you are lying."

He turned to face her now, a small, weak, embarrassed smile on his face. "Is it that obvious?"

"Yeah. And, I'm a mother back in Ponyville. I know things like that," she explained, causing the Doctor to chuckle. She used both of her hands to hold both of his. "Please. Can you just tell me what's wrong?"

His smile slightly brightened at the fact they were holding hands. "Nothing."

Derpy kept her gaze into his eyes. The Doctor desperately tried to ignore the way his were watering. "I don't like liars," she teased sarcastically.

His smile went even weaker, pained almost, but he kept it up and as bright as possible. "Sorry," but during his laugh a tear dropped.

Her playful expression vanished in the blink of an eye — quite literally. Before he blinked, she had her beautiful smile embellishing her beautiful face. But afterwards, she looked guilt-stricken. Her amount of her concern was doubling, tripling by the second, and the Time Lord couldn't begin to comprehend how large it was. "Doctor?" she asked.

He shook his head, using one hand to cover his eyes. Tears were falling faster now and his smile turned to a frown. He looked away; he didn't want his assistant to see him like this.

"Doctor?" she asked again. She finally gave up, however, when he didn't answer. Instead of repeating his name a third time, she sighed a depressed sigh and pulled him to her. He practically attached himself to his assistant. The Doctor wrapped his arms around her and sobbed heavily against her shoulder, unable to stop or do anything else. "It's alright, Doctor," she whispered, placing her casted hand on his back, "it's okay. Just cry, let it all out, it's okay... Everything's okay..."

"No, no, no it's not okay," he whispered back. He blushed after a sudden realization: he was hugging his assistant. He kept crying though, as embarrassing as it was.

"Doctor, please tell me why you're crying?"

He pulled away, looking into her eyes. His reflection in them showed a man; one broken down into a small grain of sorrowed sand.

"Doctor? Please answer me?"

"I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry," he admitted. He felt an even deeper frown cascade over his face and his bottom lip quivered.

"Oh my God, Doctor, you're seriously crying," she whispered breathlessly, holding him to her again. "Why...? You are never this upset..."

"In front of people I try not to be," he managed to choke out.

She let her good hand rest against his head, her fingers weaving throughout his brown hair in an attempt to calm him down.

"I'm sorry," he kept repeating. He was keeping a secret the thing he planned on doing later after she had fallen asleep.

He had to do it. He had no choice. He didn't WANT to, though.

And that was why he was crying.

"What can I do to help?"

"I... I don't know," he admitted.

He pulled away again and found that she was watching his every move for some sort of answer. He gulped out of nervousness. And then, he saw how beautiful she was in one love-striking wave. They both began slowly leaning forwards to each other, and -

- no. He couldn't do this. He can't give more of a reason for her to be hurt even more when she wakes up tomorrow to find he had...

He leaned away quickly, causing Derpy to blush out of embarrassment and purse her lips. They stared at each other for a few painful moments. "I'm gonna... I'm gonna go to bed," she muttered, quickly leaving his side and shutting his door behind her in one loud motion.

He sighed, falling into his bed. On his back, he watched the ceiling like he had been originally. "Mother of Rassilon... what have I done?"

/Derpy\\

Derpy walked off, a chill of despair spreading in her heart. So close. So close to finally kissing him. To kiss the man she's been in love with for half of a year.

And then he ruined it.

"Stupid Doctor," she muttered quietly, pouting. She stopped walking, taking a double take behind her. "I could go check on him again, just to see if he's still crying?"

But she turned forwards firmly again. "No."

Scarlet met her halfway there. "I heard a bit of noise. You two all right?" she asked

"Fine. Just fine," she grumbled.

Derpy continued into her bedroom although she wasn't tired at all, shutting her door behind her and snuggling into her covers. Surprisingly, she fell asleep seconds afterwards.

(39 Minutes Later, Exactly)

Her door creaked open, a small sliver of light entering into her room and becoming larger with each passing second. Derpy shut her eyes, deciding to keep them closed.

Footsteps, small and quiet, evenly spaced between each beat. They neared her bed and she could feel her stomach turn with anxiousness.

Then, they stopped.

Her breathing delayed as she waited for something to happen. She debated whether or not to look at where it was coming from.

But then a hand was on her cheek. It's touch was delicate, soft, almost like it wasn't even there. It traveled up and down three times before leaving, probably now somewhere in her room. And she knew the hand was too large to be Lilly's, but also too friendly and warm to be Scarlet's.

"Derpy..." the voice was familiar. She couldn't recognize it still — she was half asleep still. "Derpy, I'm sorry..." Now something was in front of her face and she shut her eyes tightly so whoever it was couldn't see she was awake.

"One day," it continued. "I swear. I swear on all 9 of my previous lives and the remaining 2. I lo...no... I can't say it, for my own sake. Derpy, I'm sorry I have to do this. I don't want to, I really don't want to... I just can't keep having you get hurt. It isn't your fault, it's mine, and that's why... I don't want to do this...," it whispered, "I'm going to miss you, so, so much..."

'Wait, why is he going to miss me?' Derpy asked herself in her mind. 'Im not going anywhere.'

"I suppose if it's... my last chance to say it. Derpy, I..." it paused. "Derpy, l..." it tried again. "Derpy, I-"

She fell asleep again.

Author's Note:

Again, sorry for the wait! I hope no one else cried over that Doomsday reference. I did. Anyways, thanks for reading!

—GothicPegasister


	14. Chapter 14

Doctor And Assistant (Chap. 14)

Chapter Fourteen: If You Love Her, Doctor...

/the Doctor\\

He watched her as she slept, a habit he couldn't break since he realized he felt so strongly about her. "Derpy, I love you," he whispered.

She stirred in her sleep and he smiled weakly at her. Even if she hadn't heard him, at least he admitted it.

The Doctor quickly walked out of her room and shut her door. The TARDIS knew what he was doing before he even said anything, the reason being their psychic link. It slowly made it's way through the Vortex in silence, not a hum, not a buzz... absolutely nothing. He watched the circular tubes in the middle do their usual vertical movements.

Lilly curiously walked out of her room and over to the Doctor. "What are you doing?" she asked in a whisper.

"Please... Please just go back to bed?" he frowned.

"Tell me what you're doing and I swear I will."

She watched him silently, intent on finding an answer, but when she got none she sighed and walked back into her room.

Soon, he had changed into Doctor Whooves, his pony form. He quietly made his way into Derpy's room again, picking her up and carrying her. The sky in Equestria showed that Princess Luna had raised the moon. He carefully surveyed the area, seeing to whether or not somepony was awake and could see him.

Using his teeth, once he had gotten to her front door he used the sonic screwdriver to unlock it. Derpy stirred again at the noise but didn't wake up. When he got inside he set her down in her bed and shut his eyes, allowing a tear to drop before wiping it away and strictly precluding the rest.

Doctor Whooves moved a few strands of hair from her face and kissed her forehead, leaving her room and entering the TARDIS.

It wasn't until the TARDIS door closed that he started staggering, falling against the door and sliding to the floor, tears streaming down his face that he used his hooves to cover.

Scarlet came barreling out of her room. "Doctor?! I'M A UNICORN!" But she stopped short when she saw him leaning against the door. "Doctor? Is that you?"

He nodded.

"What's wrong? Where's Derpy?"

"I have to leave her behind," he muttered, "she can't travel with us anymore."

"Why not?"

"She broke her hand."

"It isn't your fault!"

"Yes it is, Scarlet!" he yelled. "I don't want to do this-"

"-then why are you?"

"Because I have to," he said softly. Scarlet approached him cautiously and sat next to him. "What're you-"

- She wrapped her arms around him in a friendly way. "Look. I know I've been really bad to you two in the last few days. But I'll respect your decisions. You know what's best. And... I am here for you, Doc."

"Thank you," he muttered.

But he couldn't cry away the guilt on the dark grey and light blue mare's shoulder.

Lilly walked out next, a young violet unicorn with light red eyes. "Doctor, Rachel just told me what's going on. Everything is going to work out," she promised, throwing his arms around him too.

"Y-You guys shouldn't have to be in my business like this. Derpy being... It isn't your concern," he tried to say.

"If it's yours, Doc, it's our," Scarlet nodded.

"I just hope she won't hate me," he laughed dryly and humorously.

"She can't find it in herself to," Lilly smiled weakly.

/Derpy\\

Derpy sat up quickly, her eyes widely opened. She had a... She wanted to say it was a dream, at least, where the Doctor was...

No, it wasn't a dream.

Everything from the previous night had started coming back to her at that moment. The broken hand. The crying. The almost-kiss. Someone being in her room in the TARDIS.

Derpy hopped out of bed and felt a change. "That's funny," she laughed to herself, "I thought my bedroom in the TARDIS has a carpeted floor. And didn't I use to be taller than this?" But when she looked around, she saw a different wall color. She couldn't hear the TARDIS humming in the background and feel it underneath of the floorboards. And when she looked down at her light-grey cast, it wasn't covering a hand.

It was covering a hoof.

"Doctor?" she asked loudly as if he would be in her house, flying quickly down her steps and outside. She hadn't walked out of the TARDIS, she had walked out of her house — in Ponyville. The TARDIS was no where to be found.

Derpy flew inside. "No... no, no, no, no, no, no!" she whispered to herself. "This can't be happening... There is always an explanation! Why would he just drop me off? No... He didn't drop me off, did he?" A tear made it's way down her face. "And I never told him how..."

Her crying cut her off and she flew to the couch, burying herself in the cushions.

She couldn't understand. She had 6 months to tell him! She ignored so many different chances! She wimped out. Of course she did, of course!

That's what she always does. She can't ever do anything right. And that's what her thoughts were. Just her failing.

/the Doctor\\

He limply raised the sonic screwdriver and a Cyberman fell. Same old, same old. Then, a bloody Dalek. Who cared about what they wanted? The Doctor didn't. He sent it flying backwards into a pole where it burst into flames. Next, the person who is oblivious to what they were, and would do anything for him just because he saved their life.

"Oh, thank you, thank you!" the grey haired woman said, hugging him. "What were those things?"

"One Cyberman. One Dalek. Different species. Aliens from different planets. I gotta go. Come on, Scarlet, Lilly."

And they walked away from the house call before the elder could say anything more.

In the TARDIS, he slumped further into the couch. He couldn't get Derpy out of his head! How was she taking this? When would she figure out he left her behind? Would she cope? Would she even NEED to cope?!

"I'm going to give you some alone time to calm yourself and brood," Scarlet said softly, walking away.

Lilly, however, walked closer to the Doctor before whispering: "Doctor, I know how badly you love her and miss her. It is so obvious. I know it hurts now, but... You'll be used to it. And I also know you've been hurt before in outrageous proportions, but just remember one thing: none of that was your fault." And Lilly walked off.

The TARDIS buzzed louder.

"Yeah, I know," the Doctor muttered in response, "I shouldn't think too much. I need to wait until this cloud passes by. Right?"

The TARDIS stayed silent.

"Okay, one light flicker for 'yes', and two for 'no'. Now, answer my question please."

Two flickers.

"Then what do I do?! I can't go back and get her-"

-one flicker. The TARDIS zoomed into life.

"You're going to literally kill me one day," he smiled. His triumphant laugh echoed off of the walls. "Let's get my assistant!"

And Scarlet laughed along with him, walking back with Lilly. "We knew you'd come to your senses!"

/Derpy\\

There was a firm knock on the door out of nowhere.

"It's open," Derpy sniffled.

The pony walked into her living room, placing a hoof on her arm. "Is this all you did when Dinky was at school and you weren't traveling?" the British voice teasingly asked. She sat up, turning to face him.

The Doctor.

"Doc... Doctor?" she asked, flying off of the couch.

"I'm back," he laughed. "Did you miss me?"

Derpy stood her ground, her forearms crossed. "First off, where were you?! Secondly, why did you do that?! And finally, why did you think I wouldn't have been hurt?!"

He frowned at her anger towards him. "I knew you'd be hurt," he muttered. "And..."

"Yes?"

"I'm so, so, so, so, so, so, so, SO sorry," he admitted.

Her tough attitude diminished as soon as he smiled that adorable, caught-red-handed British smile and a tear spilled onto her cheek. She wrapped her arms around the Doctor and he held her tightly to him.

"I didn't want to leave you," he whispered. "I really, really, REALLY didn't..."

"It's okay... But why did come back?"

They leaned away so they were still touching, but looking each other in the eye at the same time. Then they realized they were both trying not to blush and shared a nervous laugh.

Doctor Whooves smiled at her again and felt her heart just explode out of no where. "Derpy, I thought... I thought... I thought maybe you'd..."

"'Thought I'd' what?"

He wiped her tears away. "I thought... Derpy, I think you need a Doctor."

Derpy giggled at his joke. But then the unthinkable happened.

Doctor Whooves brought their lips together in one swift motion. He kissed her softly like he was scared he would break her.

Derpy's eyes widened and she froze before kissing him back. They both smiled at the same time before leaning away seconds after. But her expression turned to one of guilt. "Oh, no," she gasped.

"What?" he asked cautiously. "Did I do something wrong? I had a feeling you didn't -"

"-NO! No, I do feel the same. But don't you know that... Oh God..."

"What?"

"We won't work!" she frowned.

"I know that, Derpy. I know... I think about that every second of the day. Every single time I look at you I realize this probably will never be anything more than Doctor-and-Assistant."

"And I hate that," they said in unison.

"How about, Derpy, we forget about the future, and we make the most of what we have?"

"Doctor, I... I love you. I love you, so, so much. But are you sure you want to become attached like that to someone?"

"Derpy, I've been waiting 6 months for you to come clean. And for you, I'm willing to do anything," he laughed breathlessly.

"Me too," Derpy giggled. "I'll be honored to forget the future with you."

"Next time, don't take that long to kiss me," he teased her.

"Can't I say the same?"

"Oh, shut up, you wall-eyed beauty," he chuckled, kissing her again.

"Mom?" Dinky asked a moment later, startling the couple.

"Oh, uh, hi, uh... Hi, Dinky," Derpy laughed nervously, sharing the same embarrassed blush as her now-stalfriend.

"What were you doing?" the unicorn asked.

Derpy thought over what to say, but Doctor Whooves had already beaten her to the punch. "We were greeting each other in a rather weird way," he laughed nervously.

Dinky rolled her eyes. "You two finally decided to become a couple, huh?"

Derpy blinked a few times. "Excuse me?" she laughed.

"You two. Dating. It's a good look if you ask me," Dinky smirked. "Thought it'd be made quicker, though."

Doctor Whooves bit his lip, obviously unsure with the situation. "I suppose so."

"Oh, and Doctor Whooves," Dinky smiled, "I think it's time to explain what are you now."

"Why?"

"If you're gonna be something close to my father, I should know whether or not you're normal."

Doctor Whooves covered his eyes with a hoof and couldn't hide his embarrassed laughter (again). Derpy gasped at how she worded it, because all the mare had heard was "if you're gonna be my father".

"Okay, well, first things first, I am not normal and I never will be," the Doctor laughed.

To let him explain on his own Derpy grabbed Dinky's beige school bag and flew it upstairs into her room. It was a pink-walled bedroom with wooden floors and a white-sheeted mattress.

Before she flew back downstairs, she paused for a moment to process what had just happened...

... And she started smiling uncontrollably. "I guess I'm not all failures."

/the Doctor\\

"Whoa..." Dinky laughed. She was sitting next to him on his assistant's couch, her eyes widened at the possibility of time travel. "You mean to tell me you actually do this for a living?"

"Well, 10 livings," Doctor Whooves laughed.

"Oh, 10? So you have a family?"

He frowned, thinking of Gallifrey. "Well, no, not... Not anymore. It's usually just me in the TARDIS. And your mother, as you've probably pieced together. But no, um, no family. I'm all alone, like usual, with the exception of one or two people."

Dinky stood up on her hind legs, almost falling over when the cushion shifted her weight, and wrapped her arms around the Doctor. "Don't worry, Doctor. We can be your family," she smiled.

Doctor Whooves grinned back, wrapping a forearm around the filly. "Thank you, Dinky... I'll remember that."

Derpy flew in. "What'd I miss?"

"Oh, nothing. Your daughter is a very nice pony, is all."

Dinky jumped to the end cap opposite of the Doctor. Derpy sat down in the middle. "That's my little Dinky," she giggled.

Dinky gasped. "Oh! Doctor, can you tell me a story?"

"What about?"

"Hmm... What about your favorite adventure?" Dinky suggested.

"Too many to count on two hands," Doctor Whooves laughed. "But... I suppose I can pick. Now, let's see here. Oh, I know! Get comfortable, girls," he laughed again.

Derpy smiled, her filly resting against her and the mare now resting against the Doctor. "Hope you don't mind," she whispered.

"Nah, why would I?" he asked, kissing her forehead. "Alright... where to start?

"Imagine yourself in a planet called Earth, where the year is 1920. The sky is a beautiful light blue, white clouds dotting it with a chill in the air that just made you happier. I had your mother with me, Dinky, and we were going to go to a party there."

"Oh, I love this one!" Derpy giggles.

"Now, this party taking place was like no other, because not only was there a famous author, but there was also someone called 'the Unicorn' who stole jewlery, and there was also a HUGE wasp!"

(4 Minutes Later)

"...and that was why Agatha Christie had forgotten what had happened, why her car was found by the lake, and also, the plot for her next story." The Doctor decided to conclude his story from then even though Dinky had fallen asleep halfway through. He enjoyed having Derpy's company, however, so he took extra time just so the moment wouldn't end. Derpy smiled up at him and touched noses with him. He loosened the arm around her. "How'd I do?" he jokingly asked his assistant.

"Pretty good," she giggled, "Dinky seems to have liked it."

"Or it was boring," he suggested.

"I think she'd have like it better if she was there, maybe."

Doctor Whooves laughed simply at her. "Ready to go back out?"

"You know it," she smiled. The Doctor shared the same expression, helping Derpy to carefully get off of the couch without waking the unicorn.

"Where would you like to go next?"

"You know... I don't care."

"Wait, what?" Doctor Whooves asked, softly shutting the door behind them.

"As long as I am with you... It doesn't matter where I am."

Doctor Whooves snickered. "And I suppose it wouldn't matter if we took a break, right?"

"Hmm?"

"Cause I hear, somewhere on Earth, we have been invited to a party."

"Another?" she laughed. "Where at?"

"Pennsylvania! Beautiful place. Fantastic, if I say so myself," he rambled, opening the TARDIS doors for his assistant.

"And what's the invite say about it?"

"It's a Christmas Eve Formal — wouldyouliketogoasmydate?" he asked quickly.

She stopped walking, looking at him enduringly. "See, the best part is –" she planted a quick kiss on his lips. "That I would love to."

Scarlet watched them with a smirk. "See you two have finally opened your eyes."

"Are you going, too?" Derpy asked.

"Nah, I'm figuring I can stay in the TARDIS with Lilly and let you two have some alone time," Scarlet nodded. "And by the way, I figured out my pony name. Qantiel. I like it. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Derpy nodded. "How do you have those... gears? Like, on your hooves."

"I do?"

"Yeah," the Doctor said, tilting his head to study them closely.

"I'm gonna guess its a birthmark or something," Qantiel laughed. "And, also, why is there a tattoo on me? Can you two figure that out?"

The Doctor let his attention wander to her cutie mark. "It's a spade with three light blue lines on it. That's your cutie mark. Marks your special talent."

"Like, mine are bubbles. Probably from my personality. But it could also be how I created a bubble with soap," she added with a giggle. "And the Doctor has an hourglass. Probably know why."

"Maybe you're good at card games?" Doctor Whooves suggested.

Qantiel laughed vibrantly. "I'm going to make up for a recent loss of sleep. See ya."

As she left, Lilly ran in and threw her arms around the wall-eyes Pegasus. "Derpy!" she smiled. "Derpy, you're home! Rachel was telling me how the Doctor was coming to get you!"

Derpy shared a smile with the Doctor as he watched, and she hugged Lilly back. "Nice to see you again, too," she giggled.

He laughed once she ran off again. "Right, then," he smiled. "Avante, Derpy!"

"Avante!" she cried out in response with a large smile on her face.


	15. Chapter 15

Doctor And Assistant (Chap. 15)

Chapter 15: Two Angels Are A Crowd

/the Doctor\\

Derpy stepped out of the TARDIS in a long grey ball gown that fit her perfectly with her black heels and golden sash (which went around her waist and ended behind her in a large bow). "How do I look?" she asked, straightening her bubble hairpin. "I'm not really sure..."

'Oh, right,' the Doctor thought to himself, 'she's so self conscious nowadays.'

"No, no, you look... wow," he laughed breathlessly. "Just... just... Wow. I'm speechless."

"Is that bad?!" Derpy gasped, a nervous expression appearing. "I can-"

"-No, silly. I'm speechless in a good way. You look beautiful," he smiled, taking her hand.

She blushed, looking down. A lock of her golden hair fell over her apricot face and the Doctor hesitatingly pulled it to its correct spot. "Thanks," she smiled, not meeting his gaze. "I suppose we should enter now?"

"Oh, right," he laughed again. "Yeah."

Together they entered the white walled, large town hall, the Doctor flashing his psychic paper to whoever asked. They then were escorted inside of what seemed to be a ballroom. Music was playing, guests and couples were dancing on the wooden floors, people were sitting around watching the others...The Doctor looked at his assistant and saw she was looking at the salmon-colored streamers (pretty odd choice of a color for a Christmas party to the Doctor) that adjourned the extremely light beige walls.

"Shall we take our seats?" he asked her.

"Okay," she smiled up at her.

He pulled her to his side and they walked together to small table where he proceeded to pull out her chair for her.

"Oh, um, thanks," she embarrassedly said. "But you don't have to do that. I can do it perfectly well..."

"Now, Derpy, I always pride myself in being a gentleman," he said in a deep voice, kissing the top of her head and taking his own seat. His serious expression melted and they both shared a chuckle. "Plus, you can't use your hand."

"Doesn't mean I'm good for nothing," Derpy snickered.

"I didn't say THAT, did I, love? If anything, you may even be good for more things than me right now, cast and all!"

Derpy rolled her eyes sarcastically at his compliment. "I applaud your new outfit. Ya know, instead of your usual? But I do think you look cuter in the brown suit," she giggled.

"Figured something new," he grinned, adjusting the black bow tie on his black and white suit (Author's Note: Like 10's suit from 'Human Nature' — 'The Family Of Blood'). "But I'm having a weird feeling about this bow tie..."

She surveyed the scene around her with her beautiful golden eyes. The Doctor watched her, making sure she wasn't being bombarded and it wasn't too much to handle.

"You all right?" he asked.

"Yeah," she nods back, turning to look him dead-on again. "It's weird seeing so many humans... happy. I know we've been to places with populations forty times longer than this room, but... Everyone is happy. No fighting."

He smiled grabbing her hands and holding them in his. "That's what happens when you're with the ones you love."

"Oh, Doctor," she laughed infectiously. "That's all you ever talk about now!"

"What? It's true," he smiled, his thumb tracing invisible lines on her non-casted hand. The song changed, getting slower. Crowds of people flocked to the floor, some also returning to their seats. The lights dimmed and Derpy watched the crowd in awe. "Shall we?" he asked abruptly.

"'Shall we' what?"

"Oh, here we go," he mumbled sarcastically. "I've always been completely rubbish at asking things like this." The Doctor stood up and walked over to his assistant while still holding her hands. "Derpy Hooves, would you like to dance?"

She giggled, a nervous blush spreading on her face. "I can't really... I don't know how to dance."

"If I can do it you can do it," he grinned. She didn't budge. "Come on, please?"

She stared at him before looking down at the floor, giggling, and letting him pull her up to standing position.

/Derpy\\

Derpy didn't know what to think. She couldn't dance, let alone with the Doctor! What if she messed up?

With possibilities running through her head, she let him pull her up. They walked as if they were conjoined by the hip and he was not stopping his adorable, contagious, British smile that sent shivers down her spine.

They finally got to the middle of the floor and he swung her outward a with a laugh at her surprised reaction, finally making her join back with him. She rested her arms loosely around his neck and he had his on her waist.

They swayed back and forth slowly, keeping in the same routine as the others around them. But to Derpy, when she gazed into the Doctor's eyes, it was just them, and no one else. "See? You're getting the hang of it," he grinned.

As the music got louder, the Doctor made her do more tricks. He picked her up by her waist and spun her around, making her giggle out of nervousness. Then, holding one of her hands, he spun her in a quick, short circle. He embraced her for a few seconds while behind her when she landed softly against him before reversing the motion so they were just swaying again.

The Doctor hummed quietly to the chorus, perking Derpy's curiosity. "What, do you know this song?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "Smother Me by The Used. One of their slower ones."

She turned her head to hide a smile. "Know the lyircs?"

He waited for the semi-chorus to start before pulling her closer to him so they were touching. With a slight shake of his head, he laughed: "can't get me to sing that easily. Yes, there was an occasion, but never again."

Derpy giggled, blushing over how close she was to the Doctor.

"You know, this song reminds me of us."

"How so?"

He twirled her again. "It just does. Then again, I do always think of you."

Her blush deepened. Derpy saw that he was staring into her eyes as well, and he chuckled when her right went upwards. "Sorry," she apologized, blinking to try and fix it.

"Why are you sorry?"

"My eye. I know it's weird..."

"Oh, Derpy," he murmured, "you don't need to sorry about that. I don't care if your eyes are sometimes crossed or that others think your not intelligent. You're you. You shouldn't have to apologize for what everyone else thinks. Well, everyPONY."

There was a pause until the verse kicked in.

"I'm just kind of used to it... I have to apologize so they don't think I do it on purpose. It embarrasses people to be seen with me, apparently..."

He frowned at her. "Don't worry, love. I'm sure it will stop."

"Are you sure?"

"Have I ever been wrong?"

"No, it's just..."

His gaze turned concerned and soft. "What is it?"

"I don't want you to be like that too."

The Doctor frowned even deeper. "Derpy, why would you think that?"

She looked up at him and masked her expression with a fake, weak smile. "Even my friends turned on me. Everyone does."

"Oh, Derpy," he repeated, "Derpy, Derpy, Derpy... I would never ask you to change. I love you the way you are."

"Really?" she asked, a real smile appearing.

"Really. You're beautiful," he grinned.

She blushed again. "Oh, stop it," she giggled embarrassedly.

"Nah," he chuckled. "I won't. You'll be used to it. It's like when people salute me."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Is that a challenge?"

"No, no," she giggled.

He watched her eyes again as the second to last chorus started. "I love you, so, so much, Derpy. Remember that."

"Trust me, I will," she smiled.

The music began to end as the last chorus was beginning. The Doctor, seizing the moment, lifted her chin with a hand and brought her lips to his in one slow motion. They kissed each other deeply until the song stopped and then some, not worrying about their surroundings.

She smiled at the Doctor and he took her hand again, leading them back to the table. "You know," she said, "I think I might be getting the hang of this 'dancing' thing."

The Doctor chuckled. "And you've definitely got the hang of that last bit."

Derpy blushed. Had she done something wrong? Or something right? She hadn't kissed anyone as a human before. She could blame it on that, she supposed.

"Hey, not like that. It's a good thing," he laughed. "And I hope I'm not coming across creepily."

She let the Doctor pull out her chair before sitting down again. "No, not completely."

"Okay, good," he said, making her laugh. She sipped the water in her drink and set it neatly back down on the table before he began speaking. "Where would you like to go after this, love?"

Derpy groaned. "Doctor. Really? I don't know any planets!"

"Oh, come on, am I the only one to have an education and be part of a race based solely on galaxies and multiverses and time traveling and paradoxes and – I'll stop now."

"Yes, yes you are the only one to have an education like that," she giggled. "Obviously."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked sarcastically.

She lowered her voice. "You're a time traveling alien called a Time Lord, a LORD of TIME, who has a blue police box that's bigger on the inside. You're a man who has TWO hearts, not one, TWO, and has multiple lives and fights other aliens, and knows outer space like the back of his hand," she rolled her eyes.

"I get your point. What's the point of living if you're only surviving?" he smiled.

"I guess you're right," she smiled back.

Someone tapped the microphone, the music stopping. A tall,slender woman with brown hair stood in front of the stage, her hands holding the microphone and trying to stop trembling.

"Speech?" Derpy asked the Doctor.

He shrugged in response, grabbing her hand.

"Okay, hello everyone!" the woman smiled warmly. "My name is Cassandra. I'm the mayor here, for our out-of-towners. And I just wanted to say we'll be having some extremely unexpected guested her. I have one request –" her expression went slack, almost like she had taken out the pins that held her smile to her face. She looked at the Doctor wearily –"help me."

Cassandra fell to the floor and automatically the Doctor and Derpy sprung into action, running to the stage. Cries, gasps, and grimaces were seen and heard throughout the room. A crowd of people ran to he scene as well, and the Doctor shot a hesitant glance at his assistant.

"Clear the crowd," he ordered.

Derpy nodded, grabbing the microphone while the Doctor took Cassandra's pulse. "Everyone needs to stay calm!" she yelled. They stopped their nervous murmurs and looked up at the shy woman. "Okay. Good. Stay like that. NOW! Everyone needs to leave single-file in a near and orderly fashion out of that door."

"Who's he?!" someone called out from the back.

"That's..." Derpy looked to the Doctor for help so he flashed his psychic paper once at her without gazing into her eyes, continuing his check. "Right! That's Doctor John Smith! He's trained, clinically proven. Now, everybody out!"

Derpy switched the microphone off and dropped it to the ground, rushing back to the Doctor. Everyone left in seconds time.

"Alright Cassandra... Cassandra, can you hear me?" he asked the body.

"Ha," Derpy laughed to herself so he couldn't hear, "the Doctor's finally gotten a patient on the clock." She then knelt down next to him sharing an equal amount if concern. "Is she going to be okay?"

He pulled his stethoscope out of a pocket, placing the two white ends in his ears and placing the metal where her heart'd be. He stayed silent for a few moments. "She'll be okay."

"She was saying... What was she saying?!"

"That 'we'll be having some... unexpected guests'?" He gasped, pulling out his sonic screwdriver and scanning the area. "Oh, no..."

"Doctor? Doctor, what is it?"

"Derpy, love, are you ready for a fight?"

"Um, maybe if you told me WHO I am fighting?"

"Angels."

"Sort of, then. But if they're Angels, why did she collapse? Wouldn't she be thrown back?"

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Good point! Heart couldn't take the sight of seeing one. But you're right on a second thing, too: wouldn't she be thrown back? Her eyes are off of the Angel, so it should en somewhere near... And if... There's someone else!"

And as if on cue, a yell was heard. "CASSANDRA! Someone help! Come on, Cass! I can't do this any longer!"

"Oh, no... It's outside, isn't it?" Derpy asked.

"You know it. Derpy, love, it seems even in our breaks we have some sort of work left. I need you to look after Cassandra. Have her tell you everything she can remember once she gets up." He got up from his kneel next to the women and began running to the door. "I'll handle whatever's outside! Be safe!"

"I'll try!" Derpy shouted back. She lowered her voice, talking to herself. "All right... Where to start?"

/the Doctor\\

"Come on!" the voice shouted. An instinct in the Doctor sent him running. Well, that wasn't a surprise. He could run faster and longer than any human.

"Stay where you are!" the Time Lord shouted back. "I'm almost there!"

With his sonic screwdriver emitting a blue knight and an obnoxiously high pitched buzz, the Doctor kept running to the source. The sky seemed to be turning greater every time his foot hit the ground, storm clouds swarming over top.

He finally reached the man wearing a suit identical to his. And, behold – an Angel. "What is this thing?!" he asked.

"I have it now. Blink," the Doctor ordered.

"Are you sure?"

"Be quick, anyways."

The Doctor jumped in front of the man and the Angel took his gaze instead. "What now?" the man asked. "They... Cassandra, where is she?"

"In the gym. Everyone evacuated the building. It's just me and my assistant. She's being watched and check on, so don't worry," the Doctor rambled. "Now, how about we begin walking back?"

The two began exiting the street. Surprisingly, although they were in the middle of the park, no one noticed them panicking over a statue.

They reached the room once more and the Doctor ordered everyone around once more as soon as he stepped into the fire exit. "We don't have much time!" he yelled to his assistant after finally backing up enough to open the door. "I have an Angel on my hands. Can you take over, love?"

Derpy laughed. Hopping off of the stage and standing next to him, she smiled "of course." He kissed the top of her head and ran over to Cassandra. "Oh, and Doctor? Heartbeat is good, didn't falter. And her pulse is active and healthy as far as I can tell. Only problem is that she isn't responding."

"Probably a mental shutdown issued by her brain because she was over frightened. Sir, what was your name?" the Doctor asked.

The man nodded, walking over to the Doctor when he answered. "Timothy. You can call me Tim."

"All right, Tim. Does Cassandra have anything wrong with her that may have caused this?" The Doctor began checking Cassandra's heart again.

"Well, she's easily startled. I'm friends with her, but I don't know if it's hereditary or just a trait she's picked up."

"Okay, so she might not be up and at 'em for a while," the Doctor muttered to himself. He then raised his voice so he could be heard. "Were you there when she saw the Angel?"

"That stone figure? Yeah. We were walking around town and she pointed out how this... statue, sorta just appeared in front of us. We walked away, thinking it was nothing, and then she felt something poke her back and turned just in time for it to be right in her face."

Derpy gasped over dramatically, her eyes still locked on the Angel outside. "She's like a walking miracle! A touch from an Angel and she wasn't even thrown back!"

"Touché, Derpy, touché," the Doctor said, sharing a laugh with his assistant (Author's Note: he was hinting at Chapter 6).

"So then she said she felt light headed, told me to keep watching it to see if it'd move again, and left," Tim concluded.

The Doctor looked up at Timothy. "Would you care to handle your friend while I help mine?"

"Fine, okay." As those words left Tim's mouth, the Doctor smiled and hopped to his feet, almost dashing to his assistant. But then: "But one more question." Those words froze the Doctor into place. "What kind of doctor are you?"

Derpy laughed. "You don't want to know."

"Yeah, I do," Timothy objected. "If you're going to be looking over Cassandra I believe we should know who you are, so we know who we are trusting as a town."

"I'm Doctor John Smith. Graduated from... Template University, the one out of town."

"I don't recall that college even existing, sir. Now tell me the truth so we know who we can accomplish for saving our town, please. And try not to be so mendacious this time."

"Timothy, just stop," Derpy warned without watching the strife play out. "He's Doctor John Smith. Call him 'the Doctor' and drop it."

"No! I am in need of a name or I will have you exiled from the town. And yes, I know it sounds medieval but it can STILL happen."

"So you'd risk everyone's lives just to exile us?" Derpy asked.

"Yes."

"Fine. I'll tell you who I am," the Doctor snarled, his back turned to Timothy as he prepared what to say. "I'm the Doctor. I'm a Time Lord. I'm from another planet called Gallifrey which is located in the constellation of Kasterborus. I'm over 900 years old and I'm the man who will save you all from this, along with my girlfriend, Derpy," he whispered harshly. "You gotta problem with that?"

Derpy giggled to herself. "He's so cute when he says things like that..."

Timothy's eyes went wide and his face pales. "An... Alien?"

"Yes," Derpy sighed. "He has two hearts and I was a pony. If you don't believe us, your loss. Now, Doctor, time to handle some Angels, don't ya think?"

"Coming, dear!" the Doctor smiled, hopping off of the stage and running to his assistant. "Now, what's our status?"

"Two Angels. One from you, and one just came. And I really need to blink. Can I risk it?"

"Uh..." the Doctor ran it over in his head. "Go ahead."

As she blinked, the Doctor slammed the door shut. "How long will that hold for?" Derpy asked.

"A few minutes. Right, right, right, right, right, right, what next..." his eyes scanned the room enduringly, myriads of thought running through his head. "Cassandra!"

Derpy and the Doctor ran to the stage again. The banging on the doors increased. "We have to find a way to get rid of them!" Derpy muttered to herself. "But how?"

"Excellent question, Derpy," the Doctor smiled, hoisting her up to the top of the stage. "Keep thinking about that while I handle this."

He jumped up himself and scanned Cassandra with his sonic screwdriver. Timothy let out a gasp. "She's waking up! Did you use that..."

"Sonic screwdriver," Derpy filled in.

"...Right... Did you use that 'sonic screwdriver' to wake her up?"

The Doctor watched the woman who was groggily waking up. "It was a coincidence. This can't kill. Can't resurrect. Can't wake up. Can't make you fall asleep. Mostly for locks and doors. I actually only scanned her to see her pulse, heartbeat, any anomalous behaviors or traits and her species, age, date of birth, full name-"

"-Um, Doctor?" Derpy cleared her throat with a laugh.

"Right, right, I'll stop," he smiled apologetically. He again got into a kneel next to Cassandra. "Cassandra? Cassandra Waltz?" (Author's Note: My inspiration for the name? I searched "Doctor Who" on iTunes Radio and the first song to come up was "Cassandra's Waltz".)

Cassandra moaned, her eyes groggily opening. "I... And where's..."

"It's all right, just take your time," Derpy said soothingly, a reassuring hand on her back. The banging increased against the door. "... Or not."

"Where is everyone? What time is it?" Cassandra asked.

The Doctor pulled out his fob watch, something he always wore no matter the occasion. "12 past 5 o'clock at night," he answered, shutting it with a snap and placing it back into his inside breast pocket.

"Where are the guests?"

"You've obviously knocked your head a bit harder than we thought," Derpy laughed. "Evacuation."

"Why?"

"Weeping Angels," the Doctor grimaced. "You have to keep direct eye contact with them. No turning your back, and no blinking, as you've figured out yourselves."

The door knob began twisting and Derpy jumped back in alarm before running to the failing bulwark. "Doctor?!"

"Lock the door! We have to find a place where we will have more time!" the Time Lord yelled, helping them up -

-"There's no lock!"

"Here!" The Doctor tossed her his sonic screwdriver through the air, his assistant catching it perfectly in her grasp. "Surely we can't go through the front door... Alright. Mayor Cassandra, tell me; where is the SECOND fire exit?"

Cassandra gasped. "Great idea! To your left!"

"Then go ahead and run! Not too far," he ordered. Timothy and Cassandra sprinted to the door and the Doctor ran to his assistant. "I suppose it's time to go, huh?" he whispered into her ear.

She smiled up at him. "Let's go."

They ran to the others holding hands and sharing absolutely insane grins. "My madness MUST be rubbing off on you with that smile," he laughed to her.

"I suppose."

Their reason for being so happy during such a predicament? The fact they could never get a break. But they didn't want one now – because when else would you be able to run from an Angel?

The followed the cement-walled and marble-floored hallway until they reached the outside world. "Everyone, into the TARDIS!" the Doctor ordered.

"I'm sorry, what?!" Timothy exclaimed when they reached the blue police box.

"Just hurry!" Derpy whined as she opened the doors and pushed the two humans inside. She shared a laugh with the Doctor before going in herself.

The Doctor slammed the door shut, turning to face the surprised crowd with one clasp of his hands. Derpy stood positioned like a soldier to her General next to him, but she smiled when he grinned teasingly for no reason.

"Hey, what's with the crowd?" Scarlet asked, walking from the bedroom hall, Lilly trailing next to her.

"Scarlet, Lilly, meet Tim and Cassandra," the Doctor smiled.

"Scarlet," she nodded at them. "How was the dance?"

Derpy tried to hide her smile, pursing her lips instead. "We got Weeping Angels on our trail. Other than that, fantastic," she giggled.

The Doctor kissed the top of her head when she said "fantastic" and she blushed, another infectious giggle emerging from her mouth. He held himself back from kissing her lips, smiling at her instead.

"That's adorable," Lilly laughed.

"But what will we do with the Angels?" Scarlet asked.

"Right!" the Doctor laughed. "Okay, well, see, Tim and Cassandra, I am going to drop you off in another town."

"Is that even going to work?" Derpy asked.

"Yes."

"Hold up, ANOTHER town? Doctor, I'm sorry. But my reputation here is extremely rare for someone who's grown up like myself. I won't be able to regain it!" Cassandra said exasperatedly.

"And what of our friends and family?" Tim asked, heartbroken.

The Doctor and Derpy hated seeing them that way. "You'll find a way. We'll drop you off and come to fix the problem! This is for your own good," Derpy tried to reassure them.

Cassandra nodded, a weak smile on her face. "But which town?"

"Thinking somewhere across the state," the Time Lord admitted.

"Oh, what about somewhere in Florida?" Scarlet suggested. "Easy to get used to. Mind the heat, of course. I had one of my homes there."

"One of your homes?" Cassandra asked.

"Okay, let's get things straightened out. I'm Equestrian. She is Skyolozine. He's Time Lord. All different species. You two and Lilly are human with the exception of her being a psychic. Cleared up now?" Derpy clarified.

"'Skyolozine'?"

"I grow wings and fly. Not at all entertaining."

"But–"

–The TARDIS tilted to the left and then the right. Derpy gripped the Doctor's hand tightly and squealed out of horror because she couldn't scream.

"The Angels have the phone box!" the Doctor yelled. "Everyone hold on! Change of plans!"

Derpy followed him as he went to work on the TARDIS busily pressing buttons and then running around a bit more to type on a monitor. Everyone looked for something to hold on to.

The Doctor paled slightly at the feeling of being watched, and he turned around to see Derpy staring at him unabashedly. "Why're you looking at me like that instead of panicking when the Angels have the phone box?"

She smirked, sitting on a railing. "You're so cute when you act smart and your going to save the day."

The Doctor shook his head and laughed. "Then come look cute with me. I need your help."

She nearly fell from the tilt but the Doctor caught her, directing her to a spot at the controls. "Whatcha need for me to do?"

"When I say 'go', pull down this lever." He directed her hands to a large clamp and she smiled sincerely at him.

"Why?" Scarlet asked for everyone else.

"We're going to give them a bit, of a taSTE of, their oWN MEDIcine," he explained, his voice getting louder every time he forced down a lever. He spun a dial continuously. "Ready, Derpy?"

"Ready, Doctor," she said confidently.

"3...2...1... GO!" Stopping the spinning, he used all 10 of his fingers to flip 10 small levers in sync of her large clamp. "Everyone to the control panels!" They all rushed over and hid underneath. "Duck down! Hide your faces!"

"But, Doc-" Tim protested.

"-Trust me!"

The Doctor pulled Derpy to his side and they held themselves to each other tightly under the panel. If this weren't to work, they would go as a team to whatever time zone their attackers chose. "Doctor," she whispered, her breath frail and soft.

He looked at his beautiful assistant. "Yes?" he whispered back.

"If you kill us, I am so going to resurrect myself and kill you."

He kissed her lips softly. "That's the Derpy I know and love."

Derpy giggled, resting her forehead against his. She let out a gasp and looked past him.

"They are there, Doctor, but they aren't moving!" Lilly proclaimed.

"Oh, thank Rassilon," he muttered under his breath. "We're good. Everyone up!"

"WAIT!" Scarlet gasped. "WHERE DID THE TARDIS GO?!"

"Relax, relax," the Doctor chuckled. "I had it teleport a block away, present time, without us. It tricked the Angels into looking at each other, see?"

The two Angels were staring directly at each other. Derpy smiled, throwing her arms around the Doctor. "You did it!" she cheered.

"WE, did it," he corrected her.

"Oh, shut up," she giggled.

"Perhaps we should get to the TARDIS?" Scarlet suggested.

"Is this the same time zone as when we left?" Tim asked, taking Cassandra's hand and helping her around the Angels.

"Yes, why?" the Doctor answered.

Cassandra cleared her throat. "We should be going. Thank you, Doctor, Derpy, Scarlet, and Lilly. It's been a pleasure."

"Don't you want to travel with us?" Derpy asked, her right eye moving upwards. The Doctor grinned and held her hand.

"Nah," Cassandra smiled. "The only traveling we need to do is in this town. I'm the Mayor, after all." And they walked off.

"Perhaps we should get going to the TARDIS?" Scarlet tried again.

"Oh, yeah," the Doctor laughed.

Lilly laughed at something Rachel had probably said. "Seems like it to me, too," she smiled.

Derpy furrowed her brow out of confusion in the Doctor's direction. He shrugged in response.

(In the TARDIS)

Scarlet and Lilly had recently fallen asleep in their rooms, leaving the couple cuddling next to each other in the library.

"Funny lot of times we've been having lately, ain't it been?" the Doctor asked his assistant. "I means we've gotten five Angels, a decapitation, smoke fumes, one Cyberman, a Skyolozine, three humans, and a psychic..."

"I think the phrase 'absolute craziness' sums it up," she said softly.

But all of a sudden, during her laugh, the Doctor felt Derpy stiffen against him. "Are you okay?" he immediately asked.

"Huh–yes! Yeah, I mean..." she looked up into the Doctor's eyes and frowned. "No, I'm... I'm really not okay."

A tear spilled onto her cheek and the Doctor wiped it away with his thumb automatically, his hands on her shoulders. "Why are you crying, Ditzy?"

He had only called her "Ditzy" so she knew he was wither (a) deeply concerned or (b) trying to tell her it was a serious matter.

"Well..." she looked away.

"No," he whispered softly, allowing his left hand to travel up the right side of her face, tracing her jawline. "Look at me when you explain."

Another round of unstoppable tears flooded her eyes and she practically collapsed into him, although she was still fully conscious. Her breathing became heavy, her chest practically throwing itself up and pulling itself back down.

"Sh, sh, sh, sh, sh," he whispered into her hair, holding her to him. "It's okay. Sh, sh, sh... It's all right..."

"Why did she... I didn't want her to...!" she sobbed.

"Who are you talking about, love?"

"Ca... C... Cara!" she managed to choke out.

"It's okay, dear, it's okay, just cry... It's all okay," he tried to reassure her. Guilt washed through him: maybe if he'd woken up earlier, she wouldn't have bled out? But he pushed the thought away before it could snowball into something more.

Her bottom lip quivering, she looked up and he gazed into her eyes. "Doctor, w-w-why is she with us?"

"Scarlet?"

Derpy nodded.

"She's changed."

"How do you know she isn't lying?"

"She would have done something by now," he smiled weakly. "Trust me."

"I do trust you, Doctor, I just..." She began crying again. "I can't believe she's gone!"

"Neither can I, Derpy," he said into her ear.

"You... You said there was a War, right? How do you survive being the last of the Time Lords?" she asked sincerely.

"I... I... I tell myself there was nothing I could have done. I tell myself the truth. And... It does come back to haunt me some times. Okay, a lot. But I put it behind me."

He watches her eyes again and shut his own. "I've upset you, haven't I?" she asked. "I'm sorry..."

"No, no, you haven't don't anything wrong," he whispered.

"But you look sad," she whispered back.

"Looking and feeling are totally different things. You can feel depressed but smile, or frown even though you're elated."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and he held her to him. He shut his eyes again, this time tighter, hating to see her cry.

Derpy leaned away and the way her eyes watched his made his hearts stop for a few moments; they were all so full of emotions, but they looked almost... Enticing...? Well, to him, they always were. But these sort of... pulled him to her.

"Derpy, why do I want to kiss you so badly right now?" he asked, his lips brushing against hers when he spoke.

"I don't know." She wiped away a few of her tears away.

"Well, can I?"

She giggled embarrassedly, closing the gap between them.

Their lips linked together softly but there was something behind it that made it passionate at the same time. He held his girlfriend to him tightly and continued to kiss her until their need for breathing took over and he leaned away. When the Doctor did so he realized they were both smiling like fools and blushing like crazy. Her giggle became infectious.

Derpy then laid her head against his shoulder and shut his eyes. The Doctor, realizing the couch was large enough, laid down and had her use his chest as a pillow. She opened her eyes out of confusion and he snickered at her expression. "A bit better than my shoulder, I think," he whispered as an explanation.

She smiled, shutting her eyes once more and then draping her non-casted hand over his stomach. The Doctor frowned, remembering how he forgot to ask her something. "Hey, Derpy?"

She lifted her head so they were looking each other in the eye. "Yes?"

"Why did you wait to say anything until now?"

She paused, a smile spreading on her lips. "I think it's because I trust you with my emotions. I also... I didn't want to break down in front of Lilly. Especially not Scarlet, because I wouldn't want to make her feel guilty."

The Doctor frowned again but quickly kissed the top of her head and ran his fingers through her hair.

"Can I sleep now?" she yawned a laugh.

"Go ahead," he chuckled. "Goodnight, dear."

"Goodnight, Doctor."

He paused for at least a minute, lowering his voice to a whisper so there was no way she could hear it. "I love you, Derpy."

She lowered her voice as well. "I love you, too."

Author's Note:

How was that for a first date? Haha! Seems even on their breaks they don't get a break. Life of time travelers, eh?

Sorry for the late update. I forgot I had to upload 15 before 16, and I'm working on 17. So, yes. Numbers. What fun.

See you in the next chapter!

—GothicPegasister


	16. Chapter 16

Doctor And Assistant (Chap. 16)

Chapter Sixteen: A Nightmare

/the Doctor\\

Derpy bolted up, giving the Doctor a 1/2 hearts attack (Author's Note: Well, you know, because he has 2 hearts and only one stopped for a moment). He sat up too, draping an arm around her shoulders automatically when he saw she was trembling.

"What's wrong?" he asked, tilting his head out of concern.

She covered her closed eyes with her hands, shaking her head once.

"Come on, you have to say something..."

He held her to him tightly and she sniffled.

"Derpy, please? You need to tell me what the problem is. I'll do my best and fix it..."

Derpy gulped and met his eyes. "Nightmare," she whispered.

/Lilly\\

Her head hurt. She'd given up on sleep at around midnight. Now, it's 4 hours later and she was STILL bored.

"You have to sleep," Rachel said.

"Nah, what's the fun in that?" she laughed quietly. "But I do have a question."

"Yes?"

"How'd you do it?"

"Do what?"

"You changed your form and voice. Also, everyone could see you, not just me!"

"Oh, that," she laughed. "I thought you knew."

"Well, I don't, since I asked."

Rachel appeared, sitting on Lilly's bedside table. "Now, how intelligent are you? So I know how to explain this."

"Pretty intelligent."

"Okay," she nodded. "Spirits can posses, as you already know. But do you know how?"

Lilly pondered the answer in her head for a moment. "Don't your actual Spirits, like the Spirit inside of you, leave your Spirit-Body and then enter the other?"

"Well, sort of. I mean, mostly. But us Spirits can posses ourselves AND someone else at the same time. I basically possessed the Doctor, took some of his appearance and his voice, and used them."

Lilly nodded. "How did they see you?"

"I let them."

Lilly scrunched her face in confusion but before she could ask "how?" her head began thumping. Then, in a flash, it was gone.

Rachel paused, observing her. "You alright, kiddo?"

She shrugged, bewildered yet ecstatic. "I don't know."

Her door opened and the Doctor, with a concerned expression, walked in.

"Oh, hey," she waved at him, "what's up?"

"Derpy."

"What about her?" Lilly hopped out of her bed and walked to him.

"She's crying."

"Why?"

"I was thinking either you or Rachel could figure it out," he admitted.

Lilly nodded with a sincere smile. "Rachel, let 'em see you. Please?"

Rachel nodded, waving at the Doctor. "'Ello!" she smiled.

The Doctor blinked a few times. "Rachel?" he asked. "How are you..."

"Yeah, I can really understand it either," the Spirit laughed. "So what's been going on before she started crying? I mean, what'd you guys say or do?"

He began walking side-by-side with her, Lilly lagging behind. "She woke up and wouldn't talk. Only said 'nightmare'."

"And how long ago was this?"

"30 minutes or so," he said. He led them into the library.

Derpy was sitting on the couch. Her hands covered her eyes and soft sobbing echoed off of the walls.

"Derpy?" Rachel asked softly, walking cautiously to her.

Lilly took the Doctor's hand reassuringly and tilted her head to meet his eyes. "Trust me, Rachel is amazing at these things."

"I hope," he frowned. "I hate seeing her like this."

/(New!) Rachel\\

Rachel sat down next to Derpy, flashing a weak smile to Lilly. "Derpy, please say what's wrong?"

She shook her head. "It's horrible... And I can't get it out of my head...!" she whispered.

Rachel carefully took Derpy's hands away from her face. "Derpy, you need to say what's going on."

"Wait, who... Who are you?" Derpy asked, her voice cracking from crying.

"Rachel. I'm Lilly's Spirit Guide," she smiled, a hand on her shoulder. "Please?"

Derpy let another tear drop and the Doctor rushed to her side, sitting next to her. "Have... Have you ever had a bad dream, where you feel like you... Like you actually lived through it?" she asked.

"I have," the Doctor admitted.

"Me too," Lilly agreed.

"What happened in your nightmare?" Rachel asked.

"I'm not allowed to say anything..."

The Doctor rested a hand on her back and she looked at him. He gave her a soft look that said "please?" and she nodded, looking back at Rachel.

Derpy cleared her throat, tears racing down her face. "There was a dragon with dark purple skin, dark purple eyes, and 3 heads. He... He'll always appear in the beginning of my dreams, and then a silence is heard, and then a... A scream. I hear someone scream. Then I can walk."

"And what do you see when you walk?" Rachel asked.

"Mossy dark grey-bricked dungeon walls, long hallways. The... The hallways lead to cells."

"'Cells'?" Lill asked, sitting in front of Derpy on a table. "Anything inside?"

"U-U-Usually something from my past... orthingsIamscaredwillhappen," she said, adding the last bit quickly.

"Like what?" the Doctor asked, wiping away her tears when she looked at him again.

"Just does we have beaten. Daleks, Angels, Sontarans, Silurians, and then, also... Also people who we haven't beaten."

"Like who?" he questioned further.

She sniffled, tears streaming down her face even quicker. "Doctor, he had you and Dinky!"

/the Doctor\\

The Doctor gasped at her exclamation, holding her to him tightly. He kissed her cheek, mouthing Rachel a "thank you" just before she disappeared. Derpy cried on her shoulder and Lilly winked at him before she walked off too.

His mouth travelled to her ear. "Derpy, you need to say something sooner," he whispered.

"I'm sorry," she frowned.

"How long has this gone on for?"

She gulped, her non-casted hand playing with a few strands of his hair. "One month or so," she said under her breath.

The Doctor shook his head. "And you haven't seen any reason to tell us? We could've helped you, love," he reminded her.

"I know, I know, but... It's never been this bad," she said, burying her face in his suit as she tried to control her breathing.

"Why is it now severe?"

She leaned away, his eyes level with hers. "The purple skinned dragon said... He said... He said he is coming, Doctor. Coming for me. And there's no way to stop him!"

Her sobs grew louder and the Doctor tightened his grip around her. "What has he said before?"

"Y-Y-Yesterday he said he 'was closer', but he's threatened me, too..."

"How did he? What'd he say?"

Derpy let out a soft exhale and practically melted against the Doctor. He looked down at her but it seemed she was asleep.

"Derpy? Come on, dear, please, you have to wake up," he said. If she fell asleep, she'd surely have another nightmare. And if the dragon'd said he was coming in the last dream...

"Doctor?" Scarlet asked, ripping him from his thoughts.

He began running a hand up and down his assistant's back soothingly. "Yes?"

"What's going on?"

"She was... She had a nightmare. A really, really bad nightmare," he explained.

"What about?"

"Well, a... a dragon, and then foes, messages..."

During the silence Derpy whimpered over her dream and the Doctor held her tighter to him. His assistant wrapped her arm around, rested her head against his shoulder, and sat in his lap. "What can we do?" Scarlet asked.

"That's the problem," he frowned, "I don't know WHAT to do."

Scarlet pondered in her head an idea before blurting it out. "What if we found a way INTO her nightmare...?"

"But how? There's no way that'd w- the Eye of Harmony!" he gasped. Derpy tensed at the noise. "Sorry," he muttered.

"'The Eye of Harmony?'" Scarlet echoed.

"Yes! Lilly; can you go get Lilly?" he asked.

"Mmhmm," she nodded, running out of the room.

/Lilly\\

"Lilly, we need you," Scarlet said, panting from the length she had to run across the TARDIS.

"For what?" Lilly asked, hopping off of her bed and walking over again.

Scarlet grabbed her hand. "He didn't tell me so I'll just say there isn't any time to explain."

"Reasonable," Lilly laughed, following her.

Scarlet led her out of her bedroom and into the library where Derpy'd fallen asleep again. The Doctor spoke first. "Lilly, my assistant and I require your assistance," he frowned.

Lilly rushed over to them. "What happened? I thought she was okay?"

"Yes, she, she is. I think."

"Then what do you need me for?"

"Okay. There's something called 'the Eye of Harmony'. It's like a microphone, or projector, for your psychic powers. It'll open a wormhole and we'll jump into it to go into Derpy's nightmare."

"Where do I come in?" Lilly asked.

"We'll attach the Eye to your head. It'll be on a helmet. You'll use your abilities to open this wormhole which'll act as a teleport. It'll lead Scarlet and I into her mind and we will see Derpy's current nightmare," he explained, watching his girlfriend as he talked.

Scarlet was taken aback. "Wait, I'm coming with you?" she asked.

"Of course! I would get terribly lonely," he said.

Scarlet rolled her arms, crossing her arms.

"I sounded like Discord," he then laughed. "But, no, look: Lilly can't go through, as she'll be opening the portal. Derpy can't; it's HER nightmare. And I certainly can't do this alone," he reminded her.

Scarlet merely nodded. "Shall we?"

The Doctor shut his eyes tightly, kissing the top of Derpy's head before laying her on the couch and whispering something in her ear. He then pulled away, wiping a few strands of her hair away and out of her eyes. "I hate seeing her like this... She is scared, and she can only wait for it to end."

/Derpy\\

(Author's Note: Whenever the main POV character is in the dream world/nightmare, the entire passage will be in parentheses.)

(It was completely dark, only letting her see the dragon. She studied his features so she could tell the Doctor when she'd wake up. He had dark purple scales littering all of his outside skin, three heads with dark purple eyes. Large dragon wings sprouted from his back, extending for forever (even past her vision!). She flinched out of fear when he smirked evilly. "You're persistent, aren't you?" Only his middle head was able to talk.

"Let me wake up!" she demanded.

"May I please have a moment of your time? Just to explain something important."

He flew up and landed less than a foot away from her. She whimpered, trying to get up from laying on the floor so she could run away.

His faces were close to hers – too close. She tried to pull away but she was paralyzed. "I'm here. And it seems someone else is, too."

Darkness.

A familiar shriek chilled her to the bone.

"Welcome to your nightmare, Ditzy.")

/Lilly\\

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Rachel asked.

"No. But I'll do it for Derpy."

"Are you aware this is going to hurt?" she questioned further.

"Now I am." Rachel frowned at Lilly's response, but Lilly smiled. "You know I still have to pay off my debts, Rachel. I am the only one who can do this. And it's the least I can do for the Doctor."

Rachel momentarily paused. "Fine."

"Thank you."

The Doctor walked out of the hallway and back into the library holding what looked like a crown with a bright jewel plastered into the middle. A thick cable followed it, and Scarlet pushed a chair closer to Lilly. The psychic smiled a "thank you" and sat down.

The Doctor froze. "Lilly, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Rachel asked me the same exact thing," Lilly laughed. "And I'll tell you what I told her. Yes. I want to do this. I'm the only one capable to do it, even though I am 'only 12'."

The Doctor placed the crown on her head. "All you have to do, Lill', I'd think of the nightmare. Project it," he said. "Maybe Rachel could help?"

"That I will," the Spirit agreed.

Lilly shut her eyes as the Doctor helped Scarlet and himself put on their harnesses, and then began to imagine how Derpy'd described it. The dark, dungeon walls. The 3-headed dragon Derpy had cried out in despair... – the Doctor laughed triumphantly.

"Lilly! You've opened up the wormhole!"

"What now?"

"Keep it opened! You'll be able to see what's happening. Keep your eyes shut, and keep Derpy asleep for as long as possible." He paused. "Good luck."

/the Doctor\\

The Doctor grabbed Scarlet's hand and jumped in without hesitation. The wires were connected to the inside of the TARDIS and would surely stay in one piece, so there was nothing to worry about. Scarlet looked at the Doctor nervously.

"And where are we going again?"

"Into my assistant's nightmares," he laughed.

Author's Note:

Sorry for the cliffhanger ending, as I have for some reason been doing lately.

But today, you all gave me a heart attack.

So, picture this: you come home from an epic school day and plop onto the couch with your two notebooks to write, your phone and earbuds for musical inspiration, and your iPad Mini. You log onto your account for your Fanfiction profile, and you do your daily ritual of checking your stats. When, all of a sudden, you see the number "2,009" under views for Beginnings.

Basically, long story short, I nearly lost my voice screaming.

What fun!

My point behind all of this:

Thank you guys, so, so, so, so, so, so, SO much. I could go on forever about how this profile has changed me, but just a few would work.

I have a purpose to watching all of these different shows. I've grown way more intelligent. And for some reason, I finally feel normal. I'm happier than ever before! My writing has gotten ex trembly better from when I was just doing rough drafts that made no sense on Microsoft Word or whatever. Now, every time I begin rubbing the fingerprints from my fingers off from how long I've been writing with a pencil, I know it's for a good cause. And like I said, I have more, but these will work for now.

Thank you guys. Thank you, so, so much. 2,000 is an outstanding number I have never seen ever before, nor thought I would ever see no matter how good I am. I know my stories sometimes make no sense, and I'm working on these god damned typos that come up like a tidal wave out of nowhere, but you guys just keep reading and demanding more installments, for more chapters, for just MORE.

Thank you, as I've said a million times before, and I will continue to say it.

Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, SO much.

– GothicPegasister


	17. Chapter 17

Doctor And Assistant, Chap. 17

Chapter 17: A Nightmare (Part Two)

/the Doctor\\

(Scarlet grabbed the Doctor's hand, a scream emerging from her mouth. They tumbled and glided in a completely dark room, but then darkness overtook his vision.)

/Derpy\\

(The screaming wouldn't stop. A thud was heard, but it kept going. "And, they've come," the dragon boomed, smiling as if he could see them. She couldn't get the scream to stop ringing, repeating over and over.

'S... S... Scarlet?!')

/the Doctor\\

("Newcomers..." a deep voice growled, "welcome."

The Doctor flung his eyes open. "Who are you?" Out of the corner of his eye he saw Scarlet on the floor as well, but the voice was too deep to be hers. "Come on, then! Out of the shadows!"

"What's the fun in that?" A pair of wings were heard flapping somewhere in front of him. "But, I suppose, if you'd like to see my friends and myself..."

The beating wings flew closer, wind gusts almost knocking the Doctor and Scarlet backwards. But, the thing was, the Doctor couldn't move. He couldn't even tilt his head! The only things NOT paralyzed were his eyes and his mouth.

Scarlet began coughing. The Doctor knew automatically it wasn't one of those coughs you'd get when you're sick – she was choking. And he knew she wasn't choking on air.

"Let her go! Stop that at this instant!" he ordered.

"Fine," the voice laughed after a pause. Scarlet stopped her choking, switching to taking frantic gulps of air. "But this is SO boring..." it continued.

"Oh, shut up! Tell us your name," the Doctor snarled. If anyone'd know where his Derpy was, this... voice, was definitely the one to go to.

Wait, 'his Derpy'?

First time he's ever thought of saying that.

The creature flew down into Scarlet and the Doctor's tiny spotlights of pale yellow lights. The Doctor began studying this creature, making an imaginary checklist in his head. 'Dark purple skin and eyes, 3 heads, 3 mouths, 6 eyes, Draconis Occidentalis... looks more like a mythological European dragon other than Chinese...'

"You're the creature Derpy was crying about!" the Doctor gasped out of hatred. "If I get my hands on you you'll wish you hadn't even been bloody born! Now give me my assistant!" His voice boomed around them, signaling to the Doctor there were 4 walls encasing them, complete with a floor and ceiling.

"Why, Ditzy Doo talked of me? That's bad... for HER."

"If you lay so much as a breath on her, I–" he began.

"-Keep talking and I will shoot," the dragon (who the Doctor estimated to be at least 3x bigger than himself and Scarlet combined) finished.

Scarlet's voice was dry, parched. "Tell us your name."

"You know, all you need to say was 'please'," he snickered. "The names Hydran (Author's Note: High-Drihh-Nn; he's another OC from one of my friends who again won't be named)."

"'Hydran', huh..." the Doctor muttered to himself.

"Now, I think I should go try to tell Ditzy she broke our... 'friendship'..." The words slurred from Hydran's mouth.

Blackness overtook his vision, but he felt someone's presence still in front of him. A scream rang out.

"It's YOUR nightmare, too, Doctor. I wonder what YOU are afraid of..." Hydran laughed darkly.)

/Scarlet\\

('Finally,' Scarlet thought to herself. 'I can move!'

Scarlet automatically stood up, staggering to the Doctor. "Now what?"

"What do you mean, 'now what'? We find my assistant," he said matter-of-factly. "She said after the scream, she walks in a dark hallway that leads to cells. But the thing is, we are just in a dark room."

"So we are basically screwed, is what you're saying," Scarlet mumbled, blinking to clear her vision.

The Doctor glared at her, standing up. "That's not at all what I'm saying." Scarlet crossed her arms. "Okay, maybe a bit, but it doesn't mean it is permanent."

She rolled her eyes. "And by 'not permanent' I'm thinking you mean 'I-don't-know-what-I'm-saying-so-let's-keep-the-Skyolozine's-hopes-up'."

He paused, cracking his back and fingers as he talked. "Not if we do this right."

"And what do you mean by 'this'?"

"Surviving the nightmare."

"And how do we do that?"

"We just will, I suppose."

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and used it to illuminate the room. Scarlet nearly died from shushing her laughter.

"What?" he asked, trying to find the nearest wall.

"Did you ever realize that when you say something like 'hold my sonic screwdriver', your sonic screwdriver could be misinterpreted as your–" she began.

"–yes, yes, well... Well now I do," he admitted, trying not to laugh as well.

Another thought struck the Skyolozine and she pursed her lips to hide a smile. "I bet you said that to Derpy, Doc," she laughed.

The Doctor's face grew red out of embarrassment. "No!"

"'No' as in 'you haven't', or 'no' as in 'not yet'?" she questioned further.

"'No' as in 'I haven't'!"

"This is adorable," Scarlet laughed. "And you're throwing a tantrum just like a little girl would. Did someone take your candy or whatever?"

The Doctor stifled a laugh. "Well, Derpy isn't my 'candy', but I believe your statement is somewhat correct."

"Are you sure she isn't your candy? I saw you two kissing yesterday. Just saying," Scarlet smirked.

"...I'm sort of sure," he admitted in an ashamed/embarrassed tone. He met Scarlet's gaze, though, and his facade of sarcasm lifted and flew off. They nearly doubled over out of laughter.

"Nice to see happiness in your times of dying," Hydran growled.

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Where are we? Where are you?" the Doctor asked seriously. But Hydran only laughed. "You coward!"

"Says the one who's been running for most of his lives!" Hydran fired back.

"Doctor?!" Scarlet asked, running to a now-visible wall. "The walls are closing in! The walls are closing in!"

Hydran laughed once more. "Fear... What a world to live in."

Scarlet knew for a fact she hadn't been slipped any hallucinogens. The walls were closing in. There was no door.

"Scarlet!" the Doctor yelled, grabbing her hand and pulling her backwards towards him and away from the nearing wall. "No... Are you claustrophobic?"

Scarlet narrowed her eyes. "For an alien, you must have no intelligence!"

"Not the time to insult me!"

The 4 walls closed in faster, merely 2-3 feet away. Scarlet began hyperventilating and the Doctor frantically started scanning every inch of the wall.

"Scarlet, calm down! Calm down!"

"I can't!" she screamed. "Skyolozine-this is what our biggest fear is!"

"All of you?!"

"Yes!"

"Oh, this is bloody fantastic," he mumbled. But then he cheered triumphantly and metal clanged against the floor.

"What'd you do?" she asked.

"I'll explain later, just come on!" he yelled, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the opening just before all 4 walls met.)

/Derpy\\

('No... It can't be Scarlet,' Derpy told herself, continuing her walk. 'I mean, unless she fell asleep at the same exact time as me. That might not even work... How'd I even fall asleep anyway?'

"I made you doze off," the dragon admitted from the shadows. "I can induce sleep, you know."

"How did you hear me?" she asked, this time aloud.

"..." The dragon didn't answer.

Derpy continued down the path, but it soon began increasingly getting a smaller distance between her and the exit. She reached the door in under a minute's time. Before opening it, however, Derpy took a look behind her. She stepped inside.

The darkness smothered her vision but a little down the way she saw a speck of light. Running towards it, she realized it was a torch and carefully took it off of the wall and into her grasp. It wasn't hot at all, though – it was actually so cold it pricked her skin painfully. She pushed through it, though, and kept walking forwards.

"You're smart," the dragon muttered, "but not smart enough."

Derpy rolled her eyes. "As I am so frequently reminded of my intelligence, I know."

"You never go FORWARDS, you go BACKWARDS," he continued.

Derpy stopped walking, crossing her arms impatiently without the flames touching her. "You continue to traumatized and scare me every time I fall asleep. The least you can do is tell me your name."

"Hydran," it cackled.

"Well, 'Hydran', tell me why you're doing this."

"No."

"Why not?"

"You broke our deal."

"Um, what 'deal'?"

"You spoke of me in the reality dimension," Hydran snarled. "Get ready for a bit more action."

"Wait, 'the reality dimension'? And what do you mean by 'action'?!"

No answer.

"Hello?!"

Derpy groaned at the silence, continuing to walk with the torch held out in front of her. Something tapped her shoulder and she spun around, only to be met with darkness. But when she turned back around, the pale, stretched face of an actual Silence stared back at her. She jumped back in alarm, falling down and letting out a yelp.

The Doctor's voice flashed into her mind. "'They're like Angels, except if you look away you'll forget the encounter.'"

So Derpy gulped, watching it closely. "One thing after another. Hydran, can't I just enjoy a nice moment with the Doctor for once? Just one time?!" she yelled, trying not to blink in fear she'd forget.

"Depends."

"Oh, right, like I've not heard THAT before..." she mumbled. "You've obviously not loved someone like I do the Doctor, because you wouldn't have done that if you did."

"While that much is true, Ditzy, I'm still the King of Nightmares. And, guess what, you're in one of the many nightmares this show allows me to run."

"What 'show'?!" Derpy was screaming now out of anger, watching the lone Silence.

"Questions for the future, Miss Doo."

"Oh, so you'll be calling me 'Miss Doo' now?!"

Hydran laughed. "You're very quick to anger."

Derpy sighed expassratedly. She'd had enough! She pushed the Silence away and walked past it. 'Wait, what'd I walk past?' she asked herself mentally.

Hydran laughed one more time.

Derpy neared the end of the hallway, shutting her eyes tightly as her hand glided through the air towards the doorknob. She eventually reached it, opening the door and walking through. A cold wind blew into her face and she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"I'm at the cells," she said breathlessly.

"Good luck. You know the rules," said a voice from behind her. She spun around to see who it was coming from but the door slammed in her face.)

/Lilly\\

Lilly concentrated, her eyes shut extremely tight. 'Keep focusing, keep, argh, focusing!' she yelled at herself through the unbearable pain centered at her head.

"Calm down," Rachel said soothingly. Her voice shook, though, almost like she was crying or trying not to. "You're going to hurt yourself!"

"You and I both know I've done worse," Lilly exhaled.

"I wasn't able to stop you those times! You wouldn't let me! But I can stop this, I can talk you out of it, I can possess you!"

"Rachel, stop, please! You're making it worse!"

A chill ran down her spine but Lilly wouldn't allow herself to open her eyes and see it's source. If she opened her eyes, she'd see something interesting and think of it. She'd think of it and get distracted. She'd get distracted and the wormhole'd close. The wormhole'd close... everyone inside would die-

'Stop!' her brain warned her. 'No distractions!'

Lilly breathed out shakily, like she was meditating after getting into a brawl. "Calm down... Just calm down... Do your job..." she muttered to herself.

/the Doctor\\

(With a clang the 4 walls met. The Doctor, along with Scarlet, sat in the air vent trying to catch their breath.

"What a rush when you're a step from death," he said with a proud smile.

"Why are you smiling? We almost DIED!" Scarlet said exasperatedly.

"'Almost' is the key word, as in 'we were almost crushed to death in a dream world that makes no sense but guess what, we ARE, STILL, ALIVE!" he yelled happily. He then slumped against a wall of the vent too, adjacent to Scarlet.

"Derpy better be thankful for this," Scarlet laughed nervously.

"Okay. So, you ARE claustrophobic, right?"

"Yes," Scarlet said glumly.

"I thought you said Skyolozine aren't afraid of anything?"

"Turns out I lied," she pouted.

"What else are you scared of?" he blurted out.

"Why?"

"I have a theory on this dream world," he admitted.

"Then say it."

"I need more factual text evidence. So, what are you and the rest of your race scared of?"

Scarlet watched him seriously before frowning. "There aren't any of us left."

"Welcome to my life," the Doctor said.

"I... I can't be alone in the dark. That's my only other fear," she whispered.

"Aha!" the Doctor cheered after a pause. "I got it!"

"Theory time?"

"Theory time," he repeated. "When we first got here, we were thrown into a dark room. Yes, sure, you weren't alone because of me, but it's the thought that counts. Now, claustrophobia set in."

"What're you hinting at?"

"Hydran!" the Doctor yelled. "We know your game now!"

"And cue the dramatic-moment music," Scarlet snickered under her breath, trying to ignore the panic still rising in her system over the closeness of the vent walls.

"Yes?" Hydran laughed. "Try me."

"You are basically the 'Dream King', right?" the Doctor asked.

Hydran, still invisible, guffawed: "duh."

"You are the complete overlord of us once we enter your dream-world. You can do anything, absolutely anything you'd like to us! But there is one thing you can't do, so you let our thoughts run wild."

"Your evidence?"

"Scarlet doesn't like the dark, and we are put in the dark. She doesn't like claustrophobic rooms because she is claustrophobic, and the walls begin closing in. You can't find our deepest fears! You can't access them! You don't know them! So you give us the opportunity to change this dimension and let FEAR overtake us!" the Doctor rambled.

Hydran clapped. "Congratulations, Time Lord. But do you hear that?"

Everyone stayed silent, hearing a short scream before it stopped. "No..." the Doctor said breathlessly, automatically recognizing the voice.

"Go find your precious little Ditzy Doo – before I do.")

/Derpy\\

(Derpy walked to the first cell, remembering what Hydran'd said in her first nightmare: "If you find the right cell, there will be a key. With this key you can unlock the door behind it and never have another nightmare. But here's the catch: out of 6,000 or more cells, only 1 has that key. And if you open one wrong door, that's one more nightmare AND scare." Her trembling hands reached the handle-

-"Sure about that?" Hydran laughed.

"I've learned to ignore you."

"Oh, really? Then I guess you don't want to know a secret about your little Doctor."

She sighed angrily. "Just say it!"

"He's here."

Derpy froze. "He's here?! How?!"

"..."

"I knew it," she grumbled. She then gathered enough courage and opened the door.

Inside, only a chair was present. Derpy blinked as if it'd make something appear or happen, but thankfully nothing happened.

She turned to leave, a slight pang of guilt stabbing her heart for not checking out the scene. But then she heard creaking. A soft, delicate voice exactly like Dinky's: "Mommy?"

(Author's Note: For those of you who aren't okay with ponies looking like they've been beaten, skip until the next author's note. It isn't that bad. I'm just very precautionary about my stories.)

Derpy turned around and saw her daughter covered in scars. Her entire coat was now a muddy brown. The area around her eyes were damp with something red. Blood trickled down her bottom lip. Dinky, still an Earth Pony, smiled evilly. "Hi, Mommy! Welcome home!"

(Author's Note: Read on, for those who stopped!)

Dinky hopped off of the chair and approached Derpy who'd began walking backwards.

"Mommy? Why are you leaving? Why did you leave me?!" Dinky was screaming now.

"Dinky, calm down, please!" Derpy said, walking until she slammed against the door. Still watching a version of her daughter, Derpy began stammering random sounds in an attempt to distract her for an extra second.

"Mommy, come play!" Dinky giggled.

"Dinky, stop it!" Derpy cried out. The a door finally gave in and Derpy ran out and slammed it shut. Dinky sobbed on the other side and Derpy did her best to stop her maternal instincts from kicking in and comforting her. "That's not MY Dinky," she whispered to herself, still backing away.

"Or is she?" Hydran cackled.

Derpy fell onto her knees and broke down crying. "It's the same every night!" she sobbed, "you'll play me against the ones I love! How dare you, Hydran, how dare you?!"

She was pulled into a warm hug.)

/Lilly\\

Lilly began watching from Derpy's point of view and what she saw hugging Derpy was certainly NOT the Doctor.

(Derpy looked up, expecting to see her boyfriend, but in reality saw Hydran.

She let out a scream. "Get off of me!"

Hydran chuckled, his tail's (Author's Note: Like a legitimate tail, not that — get your minds out of the gutter!) grip tightening. Derpy tried to wiggle and squirm free but eventually realized Hydran was way larger than her.

"I'm serious!"

Derpy couldn't breathe. She could feel her ribs slowly breaking from the pressure. A wave of nausea hit her. Her vision faded in and out.)

/the Doctor\\

(He grabbed Scarlet's hand and shut his eyes.

"What're you doing?!" Scarlet asked, trying to pull away.

"Think of Derpy right now! Imagine her! Make yourself afraid of her!" he ordered.

"Wha-"

"-Do it!"

The Doctor saw Derpy in his mind. She'd be as beautiful as she was before she fell asleep. She'd be wearing the same grey dress she did at the dance because that's what she fell asleep wearing. She'd be scared, most likely frowning or paled. Her adorable golden eyes would be either (a) swimming in tears or (b) wide in shock. 'Derpy... Derpy... Derpy...' he murmured to himself in his head.

The wall to his left disappeared and the Doctor ran through it with Scarlet. His legs pulled his body forward and soon it was like he was flying.

Derpy was being squeezed by Hydran's tail. The Doctor charged.

"Get the hell off of my assistant or so help me Rassilon you won't even remember your bloody name!" he barked.

Hydran turned to face him, laughing as he disappeared. Derpy fell to the ground.

The Doctor let go of Scarlet's hand and rushed to his assistant.)

/Scarlet\\

(Scarlet watches from afar as the Doctor knelt in front of Derpy and lifted two fingers to her neck so he could check her pulse. Meanwhile, she gulped back a random wave of guilt.

"Think she'll be okay?" Scarlet asked quietly as she started to approach the couple.

The Doctor stayed silent.

"Doctor?" Scarlet asked, now running.

"Scarlet, stop," he whispered loud enough for her to hear, his voice cracking.

But Scarlet couldn't. She ran until she fell down, her legs giving out.

"Too late," Hydran cackled. "Remember what they say about falling in a dream and landing before you wake?"

The Doctor held Derpy to him and began sobbing. Scarlet knew what Hydran was hinting at.

"Scarlet, Derpy is dead," the Doctor whispered, "Derpy is dead..."

(Author's Note)

Well, on a lighter note, happy Thanksgiving!

But seriously.

Some of you are probably like "G.P. WHY U DO DIS", and for those who are, I'm sorry. I was like that too, to be completely honest, haha!

Time to finish Chap. 18 and watch the Eagles game. Also! I want it brought to your attentions that I do have musical inspiration.

In Chap. 17 (this current chapter) when the Doctor says: "'What a rush when you're a step from death'", that IS a play on a lyric from Blink-182's song "After Midnight". The idea for this chapter series (16-18 (19 if I want to, I guess)) is from Halestorm's song "Mz. Hyde". So, yes. And if you didn't know, from Chap. 15, yes, "Smother Me" IS a real song. I only listen to rock and heavier, so that was the only slow-dance song I could think of.

Tell me what you like or think I can fix by leaving a review or PM! I'll try to get to you.

Thank you,

GothicPegasister


	18. Chapter 18

Doctor And Assistant (Chap. 18)

Chapter 18: A Nightmare (Part 3)

/Scarlet\\

("Derpy is... D-D-Derpy is... No! She can't be!" Scarlet yelled.

The Doctor kept Derpy held tightly to him, his face buried in her neck. He stayed crying, letting Scarlet talk to herself.

"No! This isn't possible! I-I-It isn't real, none of this is real!" Scarlet jumped to a standing position and punched the nearest wall, her strength declining any at all impending pain but leaving a large crack in the cement. She kept punching it, finding no other way of getting rid of these 'emotions'.

"Scarlet, stop," the Doctor said, his voice soft and rough at the same time. "Breaking the wall isn't going to help..."

"Then what the hell do you want me to do?!" she screamed, slamming her forehead against the wall and placing her hands on it like she was going to push it away. Then, she did something she forgot she was capable of doing.

She cried.

Scarlet couldn't help it. She couldn't stop. After her 18 years of life, this was the first time she ever cried. Growing up with her somewhat-father, he'd done some mean things to her both psychically and verbally... but this was the first time she'd ever felt true sorrow. It was worse than when she learned she was was the last of her kind.

It was hard to deal with the fact that Derpy had died. It was harder to know that she didn't get much time to enjoy with the Doctor. But it was the hardest realizing 5 days beforehand when they first met that Scarlet had kidnapped Derpy with the intention of absorbing her memories, which would ultimately lead to her death.

Scarlet calmed down as best as she could after a few minutes, walking to the Doctor slowly. He looked up with watering eyes.

"What do we do now?" he asked in a sad 6-year old' stone that broke Scarlet's heart. "I don't know what to do... I don't know what I can do!" Scarlet then looked at him, the Time Lord gaining sense as to his answer.

The Doctor kissed the top of his assistant's forehead before laying her down on the floor with shaking hands. He stayed kneeling on the ground, however.

"I can't... How can I even... Oh, bloody hell," the Doctor said to himself. "What do we do now?!"

Scarlet grabbed his hands softly. "Doctor, just breathe, okay? Just breathe. And don't look at her," she instructed.

"I can't, Scarlet, I can't do this without her!" he yelled, trying his best to follow her instructions.

"Doctor, I understand, okay?" Scarlet said, pulling him up to a standing position, "I know how you feel. You don't believe me but it's the truth."

Now standing, the Doctor looked down at Scarlet. Another tear fell from his eyes and he quickly wiped it away. "I don't know what to do..."

Scarlet frowned, embracing the Doctor to calm him down. "Just breathe," she repeated. "We'll find a way to get past this."

"My fear."

"What?"

"My fear," he repeated.

"What about it?"

"My single most horrible deepest fear since I've met her. It was having Derpy die.")

/Lilly\\

A tear fell from Lilly's eye and she quickly wiped it away. "Rachel... There has to be some way to revive her... They're has to be," she whispered.

"Only they can."

"How? Do they know how?"

Rachel paused. "No."

"Will they find out?"

"... I don't know."

Lilly ignored the urge to open her eyes. "If we revive Derpy in the reality dimension, will she live?"

"... No."

/Derpy\\

They say that once a human dies, the brain has 7 minutes left before it dies as well. In those last 7 minutes, that person's spirit dreams back their life in a flashback.

Start the countdown.

/the Doctor\\

(His breathing had partially calmed when he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and ran to the middle of the room. His voice boomed, echoing off of the walls and rattling the cell cages. "Hydran! Get your ass out here right now!"

"My God, at least buy me dinner first," Hydran laughed. "Fine."

Hydran appeared about 4 feet from the Doctor. The Time Lord's breathing hitched out of anger. "Why did you think it was a good idea to kill her?"

"Kill who?"

"You killed my girlfriend!" the Doctor barked. "Explain yourself right now or you'll die too."

Hydran only laughed.

"Really? Because we don't find this funny," Scarlet growled, standing next to the Doctor.

Hydran snapped his fingers, now sitting on a dark throne. It reminded the Doctor of Discord, the way he could snap and things would appear using his chaotic magic. "I am the King here, after all. I like the title, you know? King Hydran... suiting."

"Why did you kill her?" the Doctor asked.

"Every kingdom and great town has to have laws. Here, you can't just talk about the dreams."

"So you MAKE them suffer and forbid them to talk of it?!" Scarlet gasped.

The Doctor groaned out of disbelief over the stupid answer Hydran'd given him. "But you didn't have to choke her!"

"I remember now. Breaking the law results in death," Hydran smirked.

The Doctor aimed his sonic screwdriver at where Hydran's heart would be. "Bring Derpy back."

"Never!"

His breathing turned heavier. "Let's make a deal, yeah? If you bring Derpy back, I'll let you give me as many nightmares as you could want as long as she is alive and never has another nightmare ever again."

Hydran paused. "It's tempting, I'll give you that. But not enough. I mean, give up a life to take sanity? Sorry, no can do."

"You leave me no choice, then," the Doctor muttered. His aim went up to Hydran's first head all the way on the left. He hit the button.

The only thing to happen was Hydran's eyes, all 6 at once, turned red. He flung himself out of his throne, the seat disappearing from behind him.

"Is that all you've got, then?!" Hydran barked, stepping closer. "Come on! Hit me!"

The Doctor's mouth went dry. He scanned the dragon... Yes, still only Draconis Occidentalis, but... mutated?! "That's hardly fair," he murmured. "You're under a spell...?"

Hydran laughed. "Greatest fears. Losing – is that one of yours, Doctor? Losing to someone who can just step on you and be done with it?!")

/Scarlet\\

('Greatest fears,' Scarlet mumbled in her head. She looked at Derpy and gulped.

A thought sprang to mind as the Doctor continuously began running and shooting, running and shooting. Hydran roared, spreading out his wings as he flew around the room.

'If our fears come to life, deepest or not... Derpy, I am scared of you living. You have so many different reasons to hate me and you could tell the Doctor to just leave me somewhere. I'm petrified of you! Derpy, I am scared you'll be exactly the same if you're alive ever again! I'm scared that your wounds will be healed! And Derpy, I am scared of you!')

/Derpy\\

Her memories lagged, freezing on the moment she'd first gotten her cutie mark at 8 years old. The picture wouldn't continue, a still-shot depicted instead of a video.

Stop the clock. Stall the countdown.

Derpy had went through 1:53.53 minutes. She had 5:47.07 minutes left.

(Derpy sat up, her breathing heavy. Her stomach was sore – but why? Her hair was damp with... tears? A dragon flew down, just missing her by an inch. Scarlet was by her side? But... where was the Doctor?

A blue stream of energy flew by the dragon and she saw her Time Lord boyfriend; tears marked his face, his brow was furrowing in worry, and his eyes were fierce and determined.

Scarlet pulled her into an awkward hug and that's when something cold and wet splashed into her back. Scarlet was... crying?

Scarlet was actually showing an emotion.

Derpy hugged her back.)

/the Doctor\\

(Hydran laughed, opening two of his three mouths (the two on the outside) and shot out a yellow liquid. The Doctor dodged in time to scan it: blood plasma, filled with poison.

'Right,' the Doctor thought, 'don't step there or even try to.'

He turned around and saw Scarlet hugging Derpy. And she was being hugged back?! The Doctor's hearts stopped and he stood there frozen like a deer in headlights. Derpy was alive? She... She was alive!

Derpy gasped, pointing behind the Doctor. "Look out!"

The Doctor ducked out of the way just in time to be missed by some more plasma. Hydran growled. "How is she alive?!" he roared. "That's fine – Scarlet, your turn."

Scarlet flinched, shutting her eyes. They all knew that Hydran wasn't going to kill Scarlet, but would open her next fear.)

/Lilly\\

Lilly kept her eyes closed but smiled through her pain as Derpy came back to life in both dimensions. Rachel gasped in a sad tone.

"Hmm?" Lilly asked.

"... I have to go," Rachel said.

"Why?"

"Duty calls."

"Wait!" Lilly called out, opening her eyes.

The wormhole disappeared.

/Derpy\\

(The entire room shook, Hydran pausing due to curiosity. The Doctor took the opportunity to knock him off of his feet and run to her and Scarlet.

"Derpy, how are you alive?!" he asked, pulling her into a tight hug.

Derpy cleared her throat. "Um, Doctor, I love and missed you too, but I'm still a bit sore," she winced.

He quickly let go, pecking her cheek instead. "Sorry."

"What was that?" Derpy asked.

Scarlet shook her head. "It must've been my fear," she said worriedly, "the wormhole closed!"

"We need the TARDIS!" the Doctor gasped.

"How?" Derpy questioned.

"It's been working lately, this instruction. Be scared of it." He whipped around to Hydran who was getting up from the ground.

The dragon cackled. "Think that'll work?" He disappeared. "I need the Time Energy, and if you somehow DO get it here, I'll be able to swipe it away! You're trapped here — all of you! And only I can release you!"

Derpy whimpered, her frown still on her face. "Doctor? What is going on?"

He shut his eyes, holding Derpy loosely to him again. "We just need to go home, love, into the reality dimension where Lilly is. Scarlet, it's up to you."

"What?!" Scarlet gasped.

"If he is taking your fears currently, only you can bring the TARDIS. And we have to do it before he returns-"

"-TOOOOOOOOOOO LATE!" Hydran sang, appearing again about 2 feet away.

The Doctor let go of a Derpy as soon as Hydran said the first syllable, pushing her and Scarlet behind him so he was their bulwark. Derpy craned her head to see over the Time Lord's lanky figure. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and aimed again. "What are you trying to accomplish?" he asked.

"Little old me? Oh, nothing much, just revenge! I'll take over the world and soon HE'LL have to surrender them over to ME!" Hydran smirked.

"But why did you choose to rule over the nightmare dimension if that's your wanted result?" Scarlet asked.

Hydran scoffed. "Because everyone knows that one bad nightmare can change your point of view forever."

Derpy gulped, her brain going numb. "He's on my fears now," she said aloud.

That's when a beautiful, young, ginger woman appeared in the corner of her eyesight.

She heard splashing. Were they in water? No, they were on solid ground still. A pool? Definitely not the ocean, that's for sure. Hydran seemed to hear it too, as his eyes turned to a dark purple once again and filled with fear when he froze.

Derpy, with a gasp, realized the woman was definitely Rachel and had definitely given her that thought. She cleared her throat again, stepping in front of the Doctor. "Is that your fear, Hydran? Water?"

He growled: "no!" Hydran aimed his 2 outside heads at Derpy but she didn't back away or step back a millimeter.

"Derpy...," the Doctor murmured nervously, "what're you doing...?"

"I have an idea," she whispered back.

"Ah, a headache with pictures," he said, making her laugh.

Hydran watched her suspiciously, a frown slowly creeping onto his faces. "Aren't you scared?"

"No," she smiled, taking another step forwards.

"You should be," Hydran continued. "I can poison you and have you suffer slowly and painfully until Death himself takes you!"

Derpy snickered. "Sure, you can. But it doesn't mean you WILL."

Hydran was taken aback, flashing a confused glance before hardening his gaze and voice. "What makes you say?"

Derpy laughed, her arms now outstretched. Shutting her eyes, Derpy was soon smothered in water.)

/the Doctor\\

(Derpy shut her eyes, Rachel (yes, the Doctor saw her too) grinning wildly before disappearing. The Doctor knew what his assistant was doing and held her and Scarlet to him in a form of protection.

They opened their eyes once the pool's water hit them, a jolt causing them to all swim up. Derpy shut her eyes once more and they were suddenly on land.

The Doctor automatically got up and embraced Derpy. She sighed happily, wrapping her arms around him tightly in return.

"Derpy," he said into her hair, "don't ever die in my arms again..."

She flinched. "Wait, I — oh, yeah... Well, hey, it wasn't my fault!" Derpy laughed nervously.

"Where is Hydran anyway?" he asked.

Rachel cleared her throat. "Can't swim."

The Doctor pulled away from Derpy, keeping their hands clasped together. "How did you find out?"

She grinned. "The art of possession."

The Doctor flashed a thumbs-up to the Spirit, watching Scarlet. She was staring out to where Hydran was underwater, the only proof he was there being the rising air bubbles and echoing purple shadows. He cautiously left Derpy to talk with Rachel, approaching the Skyolozine.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Scarlet paused. "I'm just in denial over how much just happened," she said bluntly.

He chuckled softly. "I suppose," he said, joining her gaze outwards.

The bubbles stopped rising, Scarlet exhaling out of relief. Derpy giggled at Rachel, yawning as she walked over to him. "I think we should head home, right?"

"Yeah," the Doctor nodded, taking her and Scarlet's hands. "So, who has the honor of imagining the TARDIS?" he asked.

They all paused before Derpy raised her hand. As told, the TARDIS appeared and they all ran inside.)

/Lilly\\

Lilly clamped her trembling hand over her mouth. She'd shut the wormhole. She'd killed them!

"No, stop, i-i-i-it can't, it, it isn't, they can't be dead!" she yelled.

Derpy sat up, her breathing heavy. (Author's Note: Yes, I know, right now most of you are confused over the time zones. Do you guys remember in the episode "The Girl Who Waited" the two rooms, Red Waterfall and Green Anchor, and how they were two different time zones? Also, time goes by faster in a dream than in reality. A lot of this happens during this chapter, so keep that in mind.)

Lilly's eyes went side. She'd woken up Derpy.

/Derpy\\

("Okay," the Doctor said swinging the doors open to the TARDIS, "now we just need to-"

- the TARDIS's lights flickered, a bell screaming at them. "What is that?!" Derpy asked, having to yell over the noise.

"The TARDIS's cloister bells; they sound if there is danger!" the Doctor informed them, running to the controls. He switched a few levers maniacally and banged the service bell with a sledgehammer. "The ringing won't stop," the Doctor exhaled, "...something must be dire. Old Girl, status?"

He studied the monitors closely, Derpy watching with Scarlet from afar. Derpy's vision went blurry but the fog blew away before it became problematic.

The Doctor inhaled through clenched teeth, letting it out in a sharp exhale. "Mother of Rassilon...," he said, the tip of his index finger resting on his bottom lip from being deep in thought.

"Doctor? What is it?" Derpy asked, walking forwards until she reached him and placed her casted hand on his shoulder.

He looked her dead in the eye. "Something, or someone, is taking the Time Energy out of the Vortex.")

Derpy sat up, her breathing heavy. Lilly stared back at her wide-eyed, her mouth covered by her hand.

"You... You're... Y-y-you're awake?" Lilly asked.

Derpy blinked several times. "... Am I?"

Lilly disappeared.

/Scarlet\\

(Just like that, in the snap of a second, the blink of an eye, Derpy was gone.

The Doctor stared expressionlessly at where his assistant/girlfriend once stood before muttering: "What?"

".." Scarlet didn't bother answering with an answer she didn't know herself.

"What?!" he asked again, this time louder.

"..."

"...what...?"

If now wasn't a perfect time for a face-palm moment it seemed there would never be another opportunity in Scarlet's eyes.

She however walked over to the confused Doctor with an expression of sympathy and grief who's whereabouts remained unknown. "Doc? Where the hell did she go now?"

He quickly ran over to a fourth lever and pulled it down, his fingers trickling over 5 switched simultaneously. The TARDIS's cloister bells wouldn't not stop ringing, however, so the Doctor spun a crank whole Scarlet began talking once more.

"Did she wake up?"

"Could've."

"What'd that mean for us, then? We are still in HER nightmare, and her nightmare isn't even happening."

"I don't know."

Scarlet groaned exasperatedly. "Am I going to get ANYTHING out of you?"

"Probably not."

"Why?!"

The Doctor turned to face her, his eyes heavy. "That's my game plan, Scarlet, to do my best to figure it out. And I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry that you aren't getting the answers we BOTH need. Hydran isn't dead. He can't be. Someone who is that much overpowered compared to his enemies shouldn't be stopped by nature, like the Cyclops from Greek Mythology. They had to shove a stick into his eye, blind him, and escape — and, oh gosh, Scarlet, no jokes over that," he rambled.

Scarlet snickered, walking over to the Time Lord. "Wait. What dimension are we in currently?"

"Er..., still dream," he answered.

"Then can't we just, like, imagine Derpy or something?"

"Rachel's telling me that both correspondents must be in the same dimension for the fears to have any affect whatsoever," Lilly said, scaring them half to death, "but then again she's just as confused as you two."

Scarlet clutched the area of her chest where her heart'd be over dramatically. Lilly giggled at their reactions, finishing her walk to them where her gaze turned hard.

"Derpy woke up," she exhaled. "Wait, the dream dimension? Is that where the wormhole was leading to? Speaking of – oh, oh no... are... are you two alive? No, did I kill you and now am seeing your Spirits?!" Lilly asked, on the brink of tears all too suddenly.

"No, no, no, no, no, okay?" the Doctor said, rushing over to Lilly and embracing her in a fatherly hug. "Us 3 are still alive! Derpy, Scarlet and I?"

"But I let you guys down!" she cried into his shoulder.

"No, you did good. Actually, better than good. You did fantastic!"

Scarlet tilted her head out of confusion. "What?" she mouthed.

"Paranoia. Her brain couldn't handle it all. It'll ware off soon. She's a tough one," he answered, smiling into the psychic's hair. "Thank you," he said to her.

"I was so scared," she whispered.

"I know you were. But you're loyal... You remind me of one of Derpy's friends Rainbow Dash. You'd like her," he rambled. The Doctor felt her tighten her grip around him and he kissed the top of her head. "Thank you."

Scarlet "aw"'d with a slight laugh.

Lilly giggled. "You're welcome."

/Derpy\\

Lilly, in a snap, was gone, leaving Derpy to piece it together on her own.

Derpy picked up a crown with a faded jewel on the front. She furrowed her brow out of confusion, a thought striking her. The Doctor's words rang through her head: "'We just need to go home, love, into the reality dimension where Lilly is.'"

If Lilly was in the reality dimension, and Derpy had seen Lilly, that must mean that Derpy was in the reality! And since she was just asleep, the previous dimension must've been the dream dimension.

"So if you fall asleep in the reality dimension you'll enter the dream dimension, and if you wake up you'll go into the reality," Derpy muttered to herself. "... It's interesting, I'll give it that. So, if, I am the only one to have woken up, I'm the only one in the reality dimension, so I just need to fall asleep in order to get back!"

But then another thought came to mind: "How am I in the TARDIS if I was in the TARDIS in the dream dimension and now I'm in the reality and it looks like the same TARDIS?"

Derpy sighed, standing up. "Because the Doctor told me if two TARDISes combined into its a black hole strong enough to swallow the universe. I mean, the Doctor remembers seeing his past self seeing his future/present self remember his future/present self–... Oh my God, his insanity is rubbing off on me," she rambled, now smiling proudly.

"Now, question is, now will I fall asleep? I'm wide awake..." she continued. Derpy gasped, already running to the Doctor's bedroom. "The Doctor's sleep patches!"

(1 Minute Later)

Derpy pulled open one of his drawers, all the while silently hoping she doesn't see anything she shouldn't. Thankfully, however, she opened his sock drawer and found a small, grey, handheld case with black Gallifreyan symbols/letters engraved onto it. She opened the case and placed the two stickers on her neck, automatically losing her balance. She staggered, falling onto the Doctor's bed. She was asleep before she hit the mattress.

/the Doctor\\

"Doctor, the answer is simplistic," Rachel said. "If Hydran is in your scans, he's most likely alive, and someone is taking the Time Energy away who do you think is stealing it?!"

"Obviously Hydran! I know that," the Doctor answered, pressing multiple buttons at once as if it would make a difference. "But the TARDIS isn't responding to any of my requests! If only there were a large red button that could reroot it, but guess what, there isn't one! And we are running out of time before this nightmare closes up behind us!" He sighed out of frustration.

The lights flickered multiple times and the cloister bells kept ringing no matter what he did. The Doctor groaned exasperatedly. He was out of options!

Lilly, who had run off with Scarlet, began walking back with Derpy in tow. His assistant was ecstatic. "Doctor! If you wake up from inside of the dream dimension you'll wake up in the reality!" she exclaimed.

Lilly smiled. "Found her!"

The Doctor triumphantly laughed but stopped himself from embracing his assistant although he was internally dying for her. She'd disappeared twice already – one more and he'd mostly likely regenerate over his hearts being broken.

The TARDIS seemed to feel the same as the ringing stopped momentarily, starting up again once they all widened their eyes in shock.

Derpy frowned. "I see your situation hasn't gotten any better," she mumbled.

"Nope!" Scarlet agreed.

Derpy ran over to the Doctor. "Need help?"

The TARDIS lurched forwards, everyone falling. And, just the couple's luck, Derpy fell on top of the Doctor.

They both blushed furiously, Derpy stammering "sorry"'s and any other apology she could think of until she stood up again, holding on to the controls for support. Lilly, Rachel, and Scarlet would've surely laughed at their embarrassment if they hadn't been trying not to fall for a second time as well.

The Doctor grimaced out of fear and anxiousness when he stood up and looked at the monitor.

"Doctor?" Scarlet asked.

He paused, throwing back 2 levers before he began talking. "It seems that we are no longer in control of the TARDIS," he said bluntly.)

/Rachel\\

("'No longer in control of the TARDIS'?!" Derpy gasped.

Rachel flew outside of the TARDIS to observe the scene and saw nothing around the TARDIS that was distracting her from traveling. She looked at the ceiling and an idea struck her.)

/Derpy\\

("'No longer in control of the TARDIS'?!" Derpy gasped.

"Totally and completely," he grinned.

"Then why are you smiling?" Lilly asked.

"He usually is," Derpy giggled.

Rachel appeared with a large smile. "Scarlet, how strong are you?"

"A lot more than the Doctor," she answered automatically.

"Great. Thanks!" the Doctor said sarcastically. Derpy giggled, leaning against the Time Lord lightly.

"Doctor, do you think she'd be able to carry the TARDIS?" Rachel asked him.

The Doctor pondered it in his head before nodding. "It may be a but heavy, but we can always delete some rooms."

"Do you think that if we opened a wormhole and Scarlet pushed the TARDIS fast enough into it—" this was the point in Rachel's sentence where Scarlet snickered, "—we'd gain enough momentum and power to travel into the reality dimension?"

"I suppose so, if she does it right," the Doctor shrugged. Scarlet tried to hide her fit of laughter.

"I honestly have no clue why you're laughing," Rachel said.

"Of course YOU don't," Scarlet fired back.

Rachel ignored the insult, continuing to talk. "Lilly, are you ready for round 2?"

"Of what?"

"You're gonna open the second wormhole," Rachel informed her.

Lilly laughed. "I'm ready.")

/Scarlet\\

(Scarlet shut the doors behind her, watching the ceiling for the purple-blue wormhole to appear. That was the "go" signal.

But her attention was soon carried over to the pool when out of the corner of her eye she'd thought she'd seen something moving underneath. Scarlet dismissed the thought before she could back out.

The wormhole appeared and Scarlet let her wings stretch out as she grabbed the bottom of the TARDIS. It wasn't that heavy to her, so she lifted the time machine onto her back like a pack mule and flew upwards.

She flew so quickly she at first couldn't hear the pool water splashing. She couldn't feel the ripping of her wing. And she definitely couldn't see the dark purple claw reaching for her.)

/the Doctor\\

(The TARDIS lifted off without a problem, but soon they began falling. Derpy shrieked, Lilly's breathing turning heavy.

The Doctor left the girls' sides and rushed into the control room, flipping 4 switches, using his foot to press a hidden pedal, and using his free left hand to type into the keyboard.

"What're you doing?" Rachel asked.

"Putting the shields up! I added them in the other day so now we can actually use it!" he answered, "protection!"

But then the world froze. They weren't falling, they weren't rising, and when the Doctor looked out of the window he saw they were in midair.

"Keep the wormhole open!" the Doctor shouted to Lilly.

They rapidly began rising again and they'd eventually passed through the wormhole.) He ran to the monitor and cheered triumphantly when he saw they were in London, located in the reality dimension. "We've done it!" he cried out.

"Or have you?" a deep voice asked.

Derpy ran out with Lilly (Derpy had most likely just woken up, and Lilly didn't need to keep the wormhole opened) and rushed to his side. "Doctor?" Derpy asked uneasily, clinging to his arm.

"That isn't Scarlet," Lilly whispered.

Hydran laughed. "Guess who you just helped out of the dream dimension?"

Derpy held Lilly to her, realizing in unison with the Doctor that Hydran was carrying the TARDIS.

"Oh, and my condolences for your friend..." Hydran continued. (Author's Note: Again, the scene is about to get bloody. So don't read until the next Note if you shouldn't read it or something. I dunno. Being precautionary is better than just saying "screw-it".) He flicked open the doors and pushed the Skyolozine inside. Her body was mangled; her left wing was missing except for a few small pieces, her hair's original light blue having been stained red using her own blood. Her undershirt and jacket had been scratched and torn and the blood that drenched her body had surprisingly dried. Her nails were cut down too low but it looked like they were bitten, and a section on the back of her shirt showed she had a large "X" engraved, the middle by the center of her spine. Finally, her right arm was missing, and her left was dangling by only a few threads.

(Author's Note: So, read on!)

Derpy gasped, turning Lilly away. "Lill', don't look!"

Hydran cackled. "World domination, here we come."

Author's Note:

Well, that was certainly one of my longer chapters.

Lemme know how you liked it, what improvements I can make, and what I'm doing right? Thanks!

Anyways, thank you for reading. See you in the next chapter!

— GothicPegasister


	19. Chapter 19

Doctor And Assistant (Chap. 19)

Chapter 19: A Nightmare (Cont.)

/the Doctor\\

"Derpy, take those shelves please," the Doctor requested, walking to the middle of the library and checking each hardback for anything related to Hydran before dropping it to the ground.

"What're we looking for again?" Lilly asked flatly.

"Anything that could help," he answered. With his quickness he'd already checked 10 books.

"...'Kay," Derpy mumbled, walking to her shelf.

The Doctor sighed sadly at his assistant, his hearts breaking into three-million pieces. She hadn't been the same since Scarlet...

He shook his head, returning his attention to the books in the library.

Several minutes passed before Lilly gasped, tossing the subject of her shock to the Doctor while saying: "found one!"

The book hit his arm and he flinched, Derpy and Lilly giggling at his cowardliness. "Okay. Keep looking, though. We need every book that will work. Five minutes. Be right back," he rambled, taking the book and rushing to the control room.

/Derpy\\

It took about another three minutes before finding a second useful book. Derpy pulled out the novel "European Myths" as she saw a dragon like Hydran on the cover, except with five heads instead of three.

Lilly watched Derpy intently, the Equestrian turning to the psychic and flashing a weak smile. "Holding up okay?" Derpy asked.

Lilly shrugged, turning back to the shelf.

Derpy sighed. "You know you can talk to me, right?"

She nodded, wiping something off of her face.

The Equestrian walked over to Lilly and embraced her tightly. "Lilly, tell me what the problem is."

"How could you be so blind?! Scarlet is DEAD! That's the problem!" she sobbed, shaking her head.

Derpy frowned, trying to remember what the Doctor'd do when she'd cry. "It's alright, Lill', she's on a better place, right?"

"I don't know! That's why I'm crying! I can't feel her presence on the Other Side! Rachel is trying her best to communicate, but it isn't working!"

"Alright, alright, just calm down, okay? Just calm down," Derpy whispered. "Everything is going to fall into place soon."

Lilly nodded before murmuring: "I'm going to go into my room."

Derpy smiled weakly. "Okay. Be safe. I'll take care of your part of the shelf," she promised.

Her "thank you" wasn't even a whisper as she walked away.

Derpy frowned, returning to her search once more for the Doctor's book.

/Lilly\\

Lilly ran into her room, locked the door, and sat on her bed. She was crying no longer, reaching over to an opened drawer and grabbing a glass cup 3/4 full of water. "Think I'm ready for a step up?" she asked Rachel.

"Perhaps. Just don't hurt yourself," Rachel warned.

Lilly smiled weakly. "For some reason I want to say it, so: Geronimo."

Rachel laughed. "Good luck. And remember - it doesn't usually work on command."

Lilly emptied her mind of anything negative, holding her arms out in front of her like she was shoving something. She flipped her dominant hand (her right) over so the palm faced the ceiling, concentrating. When the cup didn't move she sighed sadly. All of the negative feedback she'd blocked out came back but in a flash the cup began shaking, picking up.

Lilly gasped, Rachel clapping. A knock echoed against her wooden door, however, and she lost her concentration. The cup smashed against the floor and smashed into a few large pieces.

"Yes?" Lilly asked tiredly. She could feel herself nodding off. Telekinesis sure took a lot out of her...

"You alright to come out now? The Doctor says he found something that we can use."

/the Doctor\\

Derpy walked back with Lilly, who's face was marked with tears. The Doctor furrowed his brow out of confusion, finally deciding to keep a straight face. He held up 2 novels, one in each hand. Surprisingly, although they had over 400 pages each, they were surprisingly light and he lifted them with ease.

"Which ones?" Lilly asked. "Like, titles?"

"Er, 'European Myths' and 'Spell Casting'," the Doctor answered.

"Ooo, 'Spell Casting', I might know something about that," Lilly joked.

"Speaking of, why did I hear glass shattering in your room?" Derpy asked.

Lilly kept a smile up, ignoring Derpy for the moment and walking to the Doctor. "What'd ya find?"

The Doctor flipped open "European Myths" to his first bookmark. "'Draconis Occidentalis are incredibly hostile. Most come to believe these creatures are friendly, but although these are just mythological creatures only seen by eye-witness accounts, I can assure you they are some of the fiercest beasts in the European world of mythology,'" he recited.

Lilly nodded. "Hostile. Makes sense."

"And then, in 'Spell Casting'...," he began, flipping the novel to a page in the early 200s, "it says, 'Chapter 73: Growth. Everyone wants to be as large as a towering giant height-wise. With this spell, it becomes possible.' Now, this is important, because on page 3 of 'European Myths' (he opened to the second bookmark in the corresponding book) it says: 'Most Draconis Occidentalis don't grow to a height larger than five-foot-seven. One eye-witness account states that the one she saw was roughly about five-five.' So, then," he rambled, slamming shut the book he was using, "how is Hydran 3x taller than me AT LEAST, if I am six-foot-one?"

"The spell?" Derpy suggested.

"Our best chance," the Time Lord agreed. "Now, there was also an antidote page..."

/(New!)?\\

It watched from afar as the dragon tossed Scarlet inside of the Doctor's TARDIS. It cringed, something it forgot it was capable of doing. The sick, twisted dragon'd killed IT's Scarlet.

Wait, "it's Scarlet"?

It held that thought.

It's brain pushed forwards one answer: it's time to take her back again.

/(New!)Hydran\\

Hydran chuckled deeply, watching with great humor the looks of fear on the civilian's faces.

"Yes, run," he laughed hysterically. "Fear— it'll be the bait!"

/the Doctor\\

The Doctor laughed triumphantly. "We've done it!" he grinned, embracing Derpy and Lilly.

Derpy squealed, Lilly turning to a fit of giggles. They wrapped their arms around him tightly and he was so joyful that he didn't mind he couldn't really breathe.

"We can take him down now!" Lilly laughed.

They all broke apart from the hug with large smiles on their faces. "Derpy, mon amour (Author's Note: How to say "mon amour"= mohn - ah - more. English translation= "my love". It's French, the language of love! So, Allons-Y!), soon your nightmares will be over," the Doctor grinned at his beautiful girlfriend.

Derpy smiled even larger, hugging him once more before kissing him softly. "Thank you," she said when they broke apart.

Lilly "Aw"'d, giggling. "You two are adorable."

The Doctor blushed, grabbing the lilac-colored liquid and placing it inside of the empty defabricator he was able to upgrade and fix in under an hour. He turned the safety on again, just to make sure.

'Mother of Rassilon, I hate guns...,' he mumbled to himself in his head.

He cleared his throat, walking back over to his assistant and companion. "I know we have the odds stacked in our favor, but I want you to remember: Hydran is something unlike anything we have ever seen, heard, or fought before. Safety is first. Yes, we will stick together, but there's always a what-if. Got me?"

Derpy and Lilly nodded.

"Right then," he smiled, "allons-y."

/Hydran\\

Hydran watched the TARDIS from the skies, but something tapped the top of his middle head. He spun around, the army of velociraptors he'd traveled back in time to get blocking his vision. But he heard a voice, loud and clear over the screeching. "I know you know I have them. I know you're willing to kill me for them."

Hydran growled, flying higher into the sky.

"I know you want revenge, too..."

"Show yourself!" Hydran commanded.

Everything froze. In a second's time he was tackled to the ground. A familiar shriek chilled him to the bone as soon as contact was made.

"Daddy!"

/the Doctor\\

"Daddy!" someone screamed from outside.

The Doctor froze, his hand resting against the door. He looked at Derpy, then at the door, then at Derpy, and then at the door again before finally pulling it open.

"Hydran!" another voice screamed.

Derpy and the Doctor looked left, right, up – anywhere and everywhere they could while in that spot – for the voices, but were soon found too caught up in the scene.

Men, women, and children were running to safety. Screams overtook all noises. The sky seemed too light, and velociraptors took to the skies. Some were even carrying victims in their mouths, whom were desperately fighting for freedom.

"Let my family go!" Hydran yelled.

"Never! They'll watch you die!"

Now it started becoming murky in the Doctor's mind. Two so-far-disembodied voices, both sounding female, yelling to Hydran who had yelled to "let [his] family go". A second dragon appeared pummeling the also now-visible Hydran and was about his size but with only one head, and cheeks that extended outwards like Chinese hand flags.

And, even more confusing (yet oddly compelling, in a way), was that Derpy said "help Hydran."

Both Lilly and the Doctor turned to her with an "are-you-seriously-kidding-me" expression. "Dear, that can't happen. Not after what he's done to you and Scarlet!" the Doctor reminded her.

Derpy stood in front of him so close they were touching, her small chin on his chest. Her head was tilted up to him so she could meet his gaze. "Doctor, imagine yourself as Hydran with two people who care about you trapped and somewhat invisible. Who are you going to fight for NOW?"

Lilly shut her eyes. "All 4 are related. A son, daughter, and mother. The mother is also Hydran's wife," she said bluntly.

Derpy gasped and he knew it was because, even after hearing the news on their relationships, his uncertainty hadn't vanished. "Doctor, I'm so sorry to say this but I think it's the only way to get through to you. What if it were your wife and children from Gallifrey who were trapped?"

The Doctor's breath stalled. His expression turned weak, his pursed lips curling downwards into a frown. "Fine."

He was pulled into a quick and sweet kiss which he recognized as her apology. "Come on," she said. "Let's go save some lives."

/Hydran\\

"Not if I have any part in this!" Hydran protested, kicking the equally-sized dragon off of him.

"Even if you did it'd still happen!"

For what seemed like a millennium Hydran and the Dragon Lord (Author's Note: Again, another OC by another good friend; also the creator of Hydran.) stares each other down.

A blue stream of energy slammed into the Dragon Lord and he staggered backwards.

Hydran looked down and saw none other than the Doctor, Ditzy, and the 12-year old. Her hair was long enough where it covered all of her right eye and some of her left on a slant.

Shocked and confused, Hydran ignored them and snarled at the Dragon Lord. He could feel his eyes turning into a fiery red and an intense electricity flashed through him, pricking his insides. "Let them go," Hydran ordered. When the Dragon Lord merely smirked in silence, he repeated himself. "I said: Let. Them. GO."

"I won't," he cackled.

"Very well, then," Hydran muttered. Red lasers shot from all 3 of his mouths on an angle where they combined into one large red energy. The Doctor aimed his sonic screwdriver at Hydran's laser and fired, adding the Time Lord's energy to Hydran's and turning the laser into a purple color. The Dragon Lord barked out of anger.

"Is THAT how you want to play, Hydran?! So be it!" he screamed, taking off into the sky and coming back automatically.

In his grasp were 3 other dragons and Hydran's 6 eyes moistened at the sight of them.

/Lilly\\

The 3 dragons were 2 different heights; 1 was the Doctor's, and the other 2 were about Lilly's. They each had one head and were the same as their father/husband with dark purple eyes and scales, slight indentations which shown they had holes going right through them.

The other dragon (the one carrying the 3) laughed evilly. "Witness your daughter, well... you know," he said, drawing a sword out of thin air.

Hydran launched himself towards the dragon, Lilly and the other 2 time travelers watching from afar since they knew they had no point in trying. Hydran's wings flew so quickly she almost fell backwards.

The targeted daughter of Hydran's was thrown to the ground and that's when Rachel began sobbing. "He cut off their wings! They can't fly!" she cried out.

(Author's Note: Pretty much from here on out until the end of the chapter a lot of death targeting Hydran's family will occur. So, precautionary me being precautionary, those who don't think they can handle a few sob-stories should at least skim through the rest of the paragraphs until my next authors note saying it's good to read on.)

Hydran scooped his daughter into his grasp but wasn't quick enough for his son, who'd plummeted 40+ feet to his death. Hydran began shaking his head, placing his daughter on the ground and approaching the lifeless body of his son. Derpy covered Lilly's eyes.

/the Doctor\\

The Doctor pulled Derpy to him, Lilly being brought along. His assistant was obviously too frightened to watch what'd happen next, and Lilly was obviously in distress. The Time Lord watched Hydran closely.

His son in his arms lay lifeless and limp. Hydran craned his head to the second dragon (whom, might the Doctor inquire, still held Hydran's sobbing wife in his arms). His voice was rough. "W-W-Why?" he asked, heartbroken.

The other dragon laughed, the sword glinting in the sunlight as it rested against his wife's neck.

The Doctor stepped forwards, aiming his sonic screwdriver at dragon 2's head. Derpy and Lilly stayed rooted to their spot. "You don't have to do this," he warned dragon 2.

Hydran's breathing turned heavy as he laid his son on the ground. His daughter broke down crying. "You've ruined us. You've ruined my family," Hydran said. "I've been forced to do labor and do your dirty deeds while you sit there with my family – MY family that I love! – and a sincere grin on your God forsaken face! Let my wife GO!"

His wife began floating out of his grasp and quickly began gliding in Hydran's direction. She kept trying to fly, but her wings, like Rachel'd said, had been cut off. And then, an obvious action happened: dragon 2 flew faster and stopped in front of her. "Where are YOU going?!"

Hydran was frozen out of fear and shock. So frozen, that even when dragon 2 readied his sword to slice, he remained rooted.

The Doctor fired his sonic screwdriver automatically but somehow it only reflected off of the silver-colored platinum, hitting the Doctor in a nonfatal fashion against his chest. He fell to the floor just as dragon 2 slit Hydran's wife's throat. Derpy ran over to him as he sat there coughing.

/Hydran\\

His family, all but his daughter, dead. Killed right in front of him.

The Dragon Lord laughed. "Hydran, you should've known this'd happen."

Hydran growled, his heart hammering out of his chest. "You monster..." he snarled.

"So, about your daughter," the Dragon Lord chuckled. "Toodaloo!" He snapped, disappearing. Hydran ran to his little girl.

/Lilly\\

Lilly stood there watching the 4 dragons. "You tried to move her," Rachel said. "It isn't your fault."

"I could've stopped him, I could've used my telekinetic powers to glide her faster," Lilly exhaled shakily.

Her attention wandered over to the TARDIS and she quickly remembered the gun for Hydran.

(AUTHOR'S NOTE: READ ON!)

/the Doctor\\

"Doctor?!" Derpy asked, kneeling next to him.

"One of -ah!- my hearts," he managed to pant as he was on his hands and knees. "Derpy, I need you to start it back up!"

"How?" she asked, on the brink of tears over how much pain she saw him in.

He sat up, now on his knees. "Hit me in my chest!"

"What side?"

"Right side; the side farthest from you," he exhaled.

Derpy froze, a nervous gleam in his eyes.

"Derpy, love, you aren't going to -ah!- h... h-hurt me," he said, "I promise!"

Derpy hugged him quickly before hitting his right side. However, it still wasn't starting back up.

"Now my back, all the way to the right on a 45° angle," he instructed too-specifically, falling on this hands again.

His assistant nodded, doing as she was told.

The Doctor's second heart began beating again and he leaned backwards, his bones cracking in response. He pulled his assistant into a long and deep kiss before embracing her tightly. "Thank you," he murmured into her hair. A shadow moved away, becoming smaller.

/Lilly\\

Lilly shot Hydran, the dragon shrinking in response. He didn't seem to notice. After running the defabricator into the TARDIS she approached him, making sure she was slow and careful.

/Hydran\\

A small hand was on his shoulder, right under his left head. The velociraptors noticeably vanished, the screams ending. All of the surrounding scene turned silent. The people that still weren't off of the street at that time had gone.

Just like his family.

Hydran sobbed heavily by his daughter. She wasn't breathing; she had died too, most likely from a broken heart.

"Um," a quiet, mousy-and-matured-at-the-same-time voice asked from his left. "Sir... I... My name is Lilly. And... And I'm sorry for your loss."

Hydran continued to cry as he looked to the speaker and saw the same little girl as earlier. He also saw the Doctor and Ditzy began running to the scene as well.

"Hydran," Derpy said when they reached him, "I'd say something but I can tell you're not in the mood."

The Doctor watched Hydran intensely and in a judging manner but wrapped his arms around him instead. Hydran flinched, beginning to spit on his daughter using his middle head.

/Lilly\\

"Are you poisoning her?!" the Doctor asked, retreating from their hug.

"My 3 heads are different," Hydran mumbled. "The two outsides spit plasma. I use the middle to bring things back to life. But... It isn't working. It doesn't work anymore."

Rachel appeared pulling Lilly away. "What're you doing?" she asked the Spirit.

"Once they took a hiding spot behind some trees Rachel smiled. "They have a visitor; Derpy and the Doctor."

"Who is it?"

A ginger woman with black converse's, a light pink v-neck shirt, white jeans, and black jacket appeared. Her smile was warm and welcoming, yet her hazel eyes were pained.

"My name is Caraphernelia Michelle Jones. I was a good friend of Derpy and the Doctor," she smiled after a long silence.

(2 Minutes Later)

/the Doctor\\

Everyone'd calmed down. The Doctor related to Hydran in a way neither of them else had, and Hydran'd explained himself a tiny bit more once he'd found out he'd shrunk back down to his normal size of, in his words, "five-foot-six" (which was actually an inch taller then Scarlet and Derpy).

Apparently Hydran's small family was kidnapped in the middle of the night 1-2 years ago by the Dragon Lord, who's also a myth used to scare children into being good. Hydran found his hideout where he had to do as the Dragon Lord'd said for their return. He'd been put in charge of the Nightmares and devised a cunning plan to fight him for them. However, he needed FEAR to attract the Dragon Lord, explaining why he gained a velociraptor army and gave himself the growth potion.

"...Derpy, Doctor? I have something to show you. Well, Rachel does," Lilly said, jerking him from his thoughts.

Rachel appeared with a woman next to her. She was smiling, tears running down her face. Derpy was in shock and the Doctor placed a hand on her back, both of their eyes watering.

"Derpy?" the woman asked, "Doctor?"

"C... Caraphernelia?!" Derpy gasped.

Caraphernelia nodded. "Nice to see you guys," she laughed, her voice cracking. She disappeared, reappearing in front of the couple. She embraced them tightly.

Derpy and the Doctor hugged her back. The Equestrian was grinning, even larger than the Doctor's usual mad-man, I-have-an-idea-to-solve-our-problem-and-I-know-it-probably-won't-work-but-let's-do-it-anyway grin. "How are you doing this, Cara?!" Derpy asked.

"Spirits have range over almost everything. We can basically do anything," Cara said. She pulled away from the two time travelers. "What have I been missing?"

The Doctor laughed, pulling Derpy to him. "Cara, do you remember 'Derptor'? The ship is real," he smiled.

Caraphernelia giggled. "I knew it! I SO told you Derptor was a thing!"

"You think a name is awesome?" the Doctor asked, a sly smile now on his face as he turned to his girlfriend. "Watch this."

Before Derpy could ask the Doctor pulled her against him tightly, their lips crashing together. Caraphernelia gasped. "I believe you now! I SO believe you!"

Derpy blushed embarrassedly. "Also, we solved a murder mystery, Scarlet and Hydran are good, we met a psychic named Lilly, and we just travelled in and out of my nightmare."

"'Scarlet'?"

"The, um, the woman who... who killed you," the Doctor sighed, "and... she just died."

"That's weird. She isn't in the Afterlife," Cara muttered.

"Do you know where she is, then?" Derpy asked hopefully.

"...You can't revive her. I think she's in a sort of Limbo," she frowned.

Derpy shook her head, throwing her arms around the Spirit again. "I've missed you so much," she whispered.

"Me too," Cara agreed.

The Doctor wiped away a tear, looking over at Rachel, Lilly, and Hydran who wer busily chatting. He looked back at his assistant once Cara cleared her throat.

"I have to go help my medium. She's a psychic-in-training," Cara smiled weakly. "If you ever see Scarlet again, make sure to tell her I forgive her."

The Doctor nodded, hugging Cara one last time. "Cara, you'll always be my companion." he said. "I promise."

Caraphernelia laughed through her tears when he retreated from their hug. "Thank you."

/Derpy\\

Cara disappeared and the Doctor took her hand, wiping their tears away quickly. "TARDIS?"

"Yeah," she smiled weakly.

"Who was that?" Lilly asked.

"Caraphernelia Jones. She used to travel with us," the Doctor explained. "Hydran, come on, keep up!"

Derpy lagged back, now with Hydran. He looked at her with a confused expression. "Why does he want me to 'keep up'?"

She smiled. "He's forgiven you," she said. "And you'll travel with us from now on."

(1 Minute Later)

The Doctor shut the door once everyone'd walked in. Lilly looked at the Doctor.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I have a question. How did Derpy stay by your side when we travelled into the reality? If she fell asleep to get into the dream, wouldn't she have to wake up to be in the reality? If she wakes up she'd be in the same place she was asleep at."

The TARDIS, like it had forgotten that bit, started screaming at them and flickering the lights.

"Doctor?!" Derpy asked, running with him to the controls.

"Lilly's right! That was a fake reality, just another dream; we're traveling to the right one now!" he exclaimed.

/the Doctor\\

The Doctor sat up in the library, Scarlet's body missing from where it should have been. Mother of Rassilon, his head hurt...

All of the memories came back to him. Lilly woke up too, in the chair she was in when they had first travelled into Derpy's nightmare. She asked the exact though running through his mind: "where is Derpy?"

"I'll go look," the Doctor said.

"I'll find Hydran. See how he's coping. Rachel says she's looking for Scarlet," Lilly agreed.

The Doctor set off through the tortuous hallways, picking up on a steady jog as his pace. At that moment, as he was observing the doors, he saw that the entrance to his bedroom was opened.

Suddenly extremely self-conscious, the Doctor opened the door fully and took in the scene.

His sock drawer was opened, his lamp had been flicked on, the container that held his sleeping patches was on the floor, and his assistant was in his bed.

His eyes darted to Derpy, suddenly coming to realize what she'd did.

Derpy must have walked into his room, flicked on the lamp to see inside his drawer to find his sleeping patches, placed them onto her neck, and then fell asleep. That's when she came back after she disappeared into thin air. She traveled through the dimensions by just waking up and sleeping because it was HER nightmare in the first place.

It was brilliant!

The Doctor "aw"'d mentally at his peaceful assistant, deciding not to wake her. But if she was going to sleep for the first time without a nightmare for the first time in a month, it's better off if she was comfortable while she enjoyed her own personal landmark.

He peeled back part of his bed's blanket and picked Derpy up, carrying over to the other side of the bed and laying her back down. After tucking her in, his smile doubled at how adorable she looked.

The Doctor kissed Derpy's cheek and forehead, letting his hand stay lingering on her jawline before he laid in his bed too. He draped an arm over her stomach. She yawned, turning back to look at him.

Derpy put an arm around him too, pulling herself up to him so they were touching. A smile appeared on her lips and the Doctor couldn't not kiss her.

'I mean, she is awake already,' he thought to himself.

She giggled again when he leaned away, placing her head under his so his chin would be on the crown of her head.

"Goodnight, sweetie," he murmured into her hair.

"Goodnight, Doctor," she murmured back.

Derpy fell back asleep, going limp in his arms. He smiled, eventually dozing off too.

Author's Note:

Ah, a nice ending for our lovely couple.

I just want it known that, although some enemies you see aren't completely from 10's reign of the current incarnation of the Doctor on the show, Derpy being a FOURTH and entirely new companion opens up a lot of different ties between different episodes from other Doctors as well. Like the Silence for example.

— GothicPegasister


	20. Chapter 20

Doctor and Assistant (Chap. 20)

Chapter 20: Scarlet Is Repaired/Lilly's Story/Cybermen

(Author's Note: Okay, look. This chapter involves SOME mature parts. I won't say by who. But it isn't even graphic. It's kind of like almost-happened and then there's also some allusions to it. Also, this chapter gets pretty dramatic and confusing. Mysteries will be cracked open and make you think. So, read on.)

/the Doctor\\

Derpy shut her eyes tightly as the Doctor took her hand and nodded at her. She exhaled softly, walking away with him and Lilly from Scarlet's burning funeral pyre. Hydran disagreed with their suggestion of him going; he still felt guilty and wouldn't bare seeing a funeral, especially not now with his family dead. The Doctor could hear the popping of the crackling fire and the wind whispering quietly as he turned his back on the dead Skyolozine.

"I'm going to miss her," Derpy sighed in a sad tone.

He let go of her hand, his arm now wrapping around her shoulders. "Me too, love... me too," he said. "Lilly, are you okay?"

The psychic shrugged.

"Lilly, please answer?" Derpy pleaded after a pause.

"I'm okay," she said. An obvious lie.

Derpy frowned at the Doctor, slowing so Lilly could catch up. When she did, the psychic kept her gaze on the TARDIS. The Doctor rested his hand on her shoulder. "You know you can talk to us, right?"

Lilly looked at him, a fake smile covering her face. "Yes, Doctor, I know I can." She then ran into the TARDIS, leaving the couple behind in the dust.

"Did you ask her yet?" Derpy asked, again after a pause.

He inhaled through his teeth. "Not yet."

"If she agrees, would you be alright with it?"

"Of course!" he smiled, pecking her cheek. "I just don't know how she'll take it."

"Yeah, you're right. Worth a shot, though, right?"

"Definitely."

/?\\

"Hey, wake up," it said to the beautiful woman lying on the surgical table, "it's me."

"Hmm?! Didn't I die?!" Scarlet asked with a gasp, shocked.

"No. Actually, if anything you were, but sort of... You were halfsies. A bit alive and a bit dead in unison. I had to revive you."

Scarlet tried to sit up but it laid a hand on her shoulder. She froze.

"You are under anesthetics. It'd be best if you just stayed there. You need to heal."

"How long was I out?" she asked, laying back down.

"About 6 hours here, 6 hours there. Around 12, then, I suppose."

"I see your insanity hasn't faded away yet."

An honest, non-forced, deep laugh came from it's mouth. "Never will. It does get sooooo annoying... Can you blame me, though?"

"No," she giggled.

It began pacing the perimeter of her table. "What have you found?"

Scarlet cleared her throat. "He's still 10. He's Derpy's boyfriend, actually. They have a little 12 year old traveling with them named Lilly. She sees and speaks with the dead and deceased. She has a Spirit Guide by the name of Rachel."

"'Derpy'...?" it asked.

"Young, looks like she's in her mid-or-early 20s. Golden eyes which go in different directions and golden hair."

"...Hmm...," it murmured. "Anything I should watch out for or use against 'em?"

"Derpy and Lilly seem to be the Doctor's top priorities. Get to them and he'll surely do anything as long as they are said to be safe."

It stopped walking once it reached her face. She slanted her eyes at it out of confusion.

"Yes?"

It was its chance. All of it's feelings towards it's lovely science experiment-gone-right.

"Are you okay?"

It watched her intensely before lifting her face up to it's own. They kissed eachother feverishly without stopping.

When they did stop, however (after about 15 seconds), Scarlet grinned at it. "I knew you loved me."

It smiled, blushing out of embarrassment. Scarlet brought their lips together again.

/Lilly\\

"Happy birthday!" Rachel smiled later that night, sitting on the edge of her bed. "Exactly midnight, just like how we usually do it."

Lilly smiled weakly at her Spirit Guide and hopped out of her bed. "I can always lay my trust in you as my calendar."

"Yes, yes you can," Rachel laughed vibrantly. "What are you going to do?"

"Listen to music and read in the library. What else?"

Rachel rolled her eyes.

"It's the most I can do. You know, it marks the 2-year anniversary of..." She wiped away a random, out-of-nowhere tear and sniffled.

"It's okay," she said soothingly. "You can cry. It always helps to cry," Rachel reminded her.

"But of what? Fear? Anger? Sorrow? Happiness?"

A knock echoed softly on the door as Lilly crossed her room for her earbuds. "Lill', can I come in?" the Doctor asked.

She cleared her throat. "Oh, um, uh, y-yeah."

He opened the door and swiftly turned on the light, shutting it behind him. "Awkward question—are you okay?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you okay...?" he repeated.

She looked up, masking her frown with a smile. "Yes, why?"

The Doctor crossed his arms, transferring his weight onto his left foot. "I'm not leaving until you tell me what's the matter. I could feel you projecting emotions from the control room."

"Doctor, nothing is wrong. I'm perfectly fine, see?" She spun around on the floor, flopping back onto her bed.

"Lilly. Lilly, I've been a father before. I've had children of my own," he said quietly, sitting next to her. "And I've lived long enough to know the difference between 'fine' and 'trying-not-to-cry-so-I-will-say-I-am-fine'."

Lilly giggled, a tear spilling onto her cheek. She wiped it away. "No, no. I'm not crying." she told herself sternly.

"Lillith, it's perfectly okay to cry... Just do it."

"I don't want to cry, though," she frowned softly.

"Why not?"

"Because it's showing I'm weak. And right now... My strength is the only thing holding me up."

He turned to face her fully, taking her hands into his. "Why would you need to be held up?"

She shook her head, looking down.

"Question for another time, then. And crying doesn't mean you're weak. I mean, ask anyone. I cry all of the time and I'm pretty bloody strong," he laughed.

She giggled, meeting his gaze. "So..., it's okay if I cry, yeah?"

"It's better if if you cry, yes," he smiled weakly.

She whimpered, burying her face in his suit and wrapping her arms around him. She sobbed heavily into his jacket and the Doctor frowned, weaving his fingers through her hair. "This can't be happening...," she muttered.

"What can't be?"

She looked up. "You won't tell anyone, will you?"

"My lips are sealed. I promise."

Lilly shut her eyes, trying to keep her composure. "It was my eleventh birthday. I had these feelings, these awful, gut-wrenching feelings that something was going to happen, that something was gonna go wrong and I wouldn't be able to stop it! I warned them day after day after day but they wouldn't listen to me! They said they would send me to the loony-bin if I kept it up!"

"Who was this?"

"My family; my mum, dad, and little baby brother Vincent. They said I was crazy, that I was delusional! They never believed I was a psychic! They just diagnosed me with schizophrenia, even the doctors did! So on my eleventh birthday... I ran away. I ran from the evil. It was bound to happen. I never heard then sing to congratulate me for aging another year. They'd gone to run some errands, and while they were gone I packed and left!"

Lilly went back to crying, the Doctor shaking his head. "Lilly..., Lilly, it's okay..."

"No it isn't!" she sobbed. "It's been 2 years and I don't know if they're alive or not! Rachel can't find them in the Afterlife or see if they are alive!"

The Doctor held Lilly to him and she continued to sob heavily. "Lilly, thank you for telling me. Do you, maybe, I don't know, want to go visit your old house? See what happened?"

Lilly shook her head no.

"Why not?"

She looked up. "Because if... If they died, I... I wouldn't be able to live with myself..."

The Doctor frowned, hugging her again. "I know you know I know how that feels."

Lilly giggled weakly.

"Hey, are you thinking about telling the others?"

"Should I?"

"It's up to you, Lill'. It's your family. You need to have the final say."

"But I'm asking you. When did you tell Derpy and... S-Scarlet about the Time War?"

The Doctor frowned, shaking his head. "I haven't told either. Derpy only knows a bit. But... she doesn't know how it all played out and what role I fulfilled. You, on the other hand, I barely had any choice in telling you," he laughed, hinting at their discussion from two days ago. (Author's Note: She confronts him about what Rachel had said about his past and home planet. He came clean about the entire war. And don't bother looking - it wasn't written and/or published.)

"Sorry 'bout that."

"Nah, you would've found out anyway."

"I suppose." She wiped away a few more tears before focusing her gaze on his jacket.

He looked down self-consciously. "What?" he asked.

She giggled embarrassedly, pointing to a damp spot, "I cried on your jacket."

"So what?" he adds. "I'm not worried about it."

She laughed, but during doing so a few more tears dropped.

The Doctor picked her up and had her sit on his leg where she proceeded to cry into his shoulder.

/the Doctor\\

The Doctor kept Lilly on his leg, shutting his eyes. But the psychic's at-that-moment-usual shaking breaths turned frail and soft, like the calm before the oncoming storm (although he hoped another storm wouldn't be coming). He opened his eyes and looked down at her.

"Doctor, this... this may sound weird and out of the blue, and it does feel awkward, but... Doctor, you remind me of my dad. And... And I'm finding myself looking at you like you're my father," she admitted.

The Doctor's breathing paused, a proud grin on his face. "And on the same level of awkwardness, Lilly, Derpy and I have been thinking about you lately. In a good way, I mean. And we... If it's okay with you, we'd like to adopt you. Just so you don't have to walk around without parents. Because... Having no parents is a horrible thing and we don't want you to feel like that, especially with all of the added drama and problems you have encircling you."

Lilly smiled.

"Is that okay?"

She paused. "Okay, dad."

He laughed. "Now I can literally say, with the exception of Hydran, we are one time-traveling family."

Lilly giggled, but it soon turned cold. "What do you two think?"

This caused him to "hmm?"

"You got a daughter who sees the dead, can't sleep, is always passing out, and never doesn't have bloody noses. How does that make you feel?"

"Proud."

"How does that make you proud?" she asked, sniffling and meeting his gaze.

"Because no one else does that. And if you haven't realized it, I'm proud to be near unique people. I mean, Scarlet was a new and different race. Derpy's eyes are extremely one-in-a-million. I'm a Time Lord. Hydran is a three-handed dragon that spits plasma and brings things back to life. And now we have you," he explained.

Lilly smiled. "Speaking of, what's going on between you and Derpy?"

The Doctor laughed honestly. "We're in love. We're dating. Anything else?"

She giggled. "I think you know what I mean."

He blushed automatically, looking down. "No, n-no, it isn't... It isn't like that."

Lilly laughed. "You're aura is definitely telling me something."

"What is it saying...?"

"Let's just say... Doctor, you're in love. And you have a very creative mind." His blush deepened and the psychic smiled. "Hey, our little secret, right?"

He laughed. "Sure. Whatever you say, kiddo. Anything else to ask?"

"Sort of. Anything to ask ME?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you have anything you want to ask me?" Lilly asked.

"...Yeah. Yeah, I actually do."

"Hit me."

"What were your parents like? That is, if you don't mind talking about it."

She automatically began talking. "They were the people who would do anything for anybody at any time no matter what was right if they believed otherwise. My dad, Lee, he would always make me laugh on days where I thought laughter was a faraway memory. My mum, her name was Roseline. Oh... You have a bad response to that," she added quietly, placing a hand on his back when he tensed at the name "Rose". "Sorry. Anyways. Mum would always put Vincent and I first. I always got what I wanted unless it would affect us all negatively. Not saying I'm spoiled or anything. And then there was Vincent. Funny story about him, actually. I was the only who told my mum she was pregnant with him, not a test! She didn't believe me of course, but, lo and behold, she finds out a day or so later."

The Doctor chuckled a bit at her story. "But... If you were loved that much by your family, why did they, in your words, almost send you to the 'loony-bin'?"

"Because they almost did. It reached a point in my warnings towards them that they stopped acting like that; all nice and caring. I was ignored. But soon I realized after overhearing their conversations about sending me off that is was BECAUSE OF the warnings, so I decided to lay off of 'em. I didn't tell them as frequently after that, but I had still made an effort to tell them. Then they were back to normal."

"And they still didn't believe you were a psychic, even after your prophesizing of Vincent?"

"Correct. Apparently my mum had actually taken a test, but it read negative. She just thought that I was guessing by the way she had been acting, ya know, with the throwing up and mood swings; the normal pregnancy side effects."

"So you're definitely a legitimate psychic," he said, although it was more of a statement than a question.

"Wanna see a trick?"

"Go ahead."

Lilly smiled, standing up and walking to her dresser. She picked up a glass of water (and he could see she had about 5 more stored away inside of the compartment) and placed it on the windowsill. "Know anything about telekinesis?"

"No way!" he gasped.

"Yes way. I was the one who moved Hydran's wife," she admitted. Lilly extended her arms and the cup slowly began shaking and twitching before it moved up to the ceiling and circled the room. Bewildered yet amazed, the Doctor scooped her into a tight hug when she set it back down.

"Lilly, you are completely amazing!" She laughed at his exclamation. "Add that to the list of why I am proud!"

Lilly giggled and Derpy walked in. "Should I be leaving you two alone?" his girlfriend asked with a laugh.

Lilly smirked. "Doctor, your aura again...," she teased.

The Time Lord blushed. "Lilly!" he laughed nervously.

"What is this about auras?"

Lilly laughed again. "Nothing, nothing."

Derpy walked over to them, pecked his cheek, and sat next to Lilly. "Did he ask you yet?" she asked the psychic.

The Doctor nodded. Lilly sat upright in his lap.

"And her answer?"

"Hello, mum," Lilly said with a large smile.

Derpy grinned, placing her hand on her back. "Welcome to the family, dear," she told Lilly.

/Lilly\\

Lilly grinned widely out of joy, her eyes on the brink of tears again. Derpy and the Doctor embraced her again and she controlled herself from sobbing by letting out a shaky exhale. She had a family. She wasn't alone. And now, for the first time in two years, she could say she had a mum and dad by her side.

/?\\

It looked next to itself and groaned, seeing it's science experiment, Scarlet laying in his bed. It's mind raced. It couldn't let her find out the secret behind her and her "species". For now, the facade of it picking her up from the streets shall stay.

And now that they had just done... that, it might be a tiny bit harder.

/the Doctor\\

The Doctor and Derpy walked away from Lilly's bedroom, leaving the psychic to herself.

"So now it's like Dinky has a step-sister," the Doctor stated nonchalantly.

Derpy smiled, taking his hand loosely. "I'm happy we decided to do that."

The Doctor chuckled.

"What was she talking about?"

The Time Lord tensed. "Oh, you know... stuff."

"I saw tear marks on her face, Doctor."

He froze completely. "She wasn't crying."

"Doctor, dear, please don't lie to me," she murmured, standing on the tips of her toes and tracing his jawline. "She's my child too."

"...She told me not to speak her reason."

"Of course she didn't want you to," Derpy mumbled. She dropped her hand.

"She's just 13 years old. Secrets are secrets and they have to be kept, especially around her age–"

"–Doctor?" Lilly asked, peering from her door. "I think I'm gonna tell everyone."

/Lilly\\

Lilly looked at the Doctor's fellow companions, a wave of apprehension slamming into her and twisting her insides. They'd flocked to the control room all too quickly for Lilly.

"Just keep your composure," muttered Rachel.

The Doctor sat next to her and clasped her hands in his. "Lilly, dear, you don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"Doctor, I have to do this."

"Don't you want to think it over again?"

"Doctor, I have to do this." she repeated. Lilly stood up from the couch and gulped. "Here goes nothing," she murmured.

/?\\\

"Oh, hey," Scarlet yawned, flying into it's laboratory.

It didn't even turn to look at her. It continued typing on it's computer. "Last night never happened," it murmured.

Scarlet laughed seductively, walking over to it. "Oh contrare..."

"Since when have you spoken Romanian?" it asked, suddenly intrigued. It then wiped the attitude away. "We shouldn't even had kissed," it continued.

Scarlet sat on its leg and pecked it's cheek multiple times, peppering it with kisses. "Are you sure?"

"Scarlet, at least let me hit this button," it said.

"What'll it do?" she asked.

"Oh, my darling, it's just another trap for this lot."

"The Doctor and his crew?"

"Mmhmm. And, I must say, you did good not spoiling our little... masquerade."

"No big deal. It was easy."

"And all of these emotions? Mother of Rassilon, you'd never know it was you, my love."

"When one follows in the light of someone like you, one has to learn how to act. At least a bit, that is."

It laughed honestly. "Who'll press the button?"

"You! You're the brains of the operation."

It laughed once more, slamming it's fist against the button. It watched the computer screen before cheering triumphantly. "Operation Depression is in action. And, luckily for us, Derpy has BEEN in that state of mind..."

/Lilly\\

"...And I had been running ever since," Lilly explained, concluding her story.

Derpy frowned as she sat next to the Doctor on the couch, everyone else sharing her expression. "Where have you been living?"

"Orphanages. Almost an insane asylum when they found me on the streets. Then, the people from the masquerade ball. Now, here. People like me with my state of mind usually don't have forever-homes. Children just aren't listened to, no matter what our gift is," Lilly muttered.

"Thank you for telling us," Hydran smiled comfortingly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "That took a lot of guts."

/the Doctor\\

Derpy laid her head on his leg and curled into a ball. The Doctor rested one of his arms on her shoulder, Hydran and Lilly watching.

"Where do you lot think we should go next?" he asked them.

Lilly smiled, presumably at Rachel. "Yeah, I know, right!"

Hydran slanted his eyes in confusion. "Hmm?"

"Oh, nothing. Sorry," Lilly said quickly.

Derpy went limp against him and he looked down to watch her. "You alright?"

"...Yeah," she answered.

"Are you sure?" he questioned further. He could feel something was wrong.

Derpy tensed, sitting up quickly. "Yes."

Hydran watched her expectantly while Lilly looked away. "Derpy, you seem a bit off."

"Shut up!" Derpy yelled, crossing her arms.

The Doctor put an arm around her shoulders. "Dear, this isn't like you. Please. Something is wrong and you aren't telling us... Yelling isn't going to help."

"How would YOU know?! Maybe yelling IS helping me!" she yelled once more. "You aren't me! You don't know what is or what isn't helping me! If you did I wouldn't feel so-!" Her crying cut her off. She pushed the Doctor away, running to the bed hallways. Lilly ran after her.

The Doctor groaned, his entire body going limp and his head rolling back.

/Lilly\\

Lilly ran, silently following Derpy through the hallways. When she shut the door to her bedroom, Lilly opened it again and stayed by her bedside.

"Derpy?" she asked.

Derpy didn't respond, she only buried her face in her pillow.

"Derpy, please?" she tried again, "I can help you. We can help you!"

No response.

Lilly, figuring it was the only way, concentrated on the area within her shoulders to her head which would hold her emotional aura. A dark, muddy, forest green emerged and smothered her. Lilly gulped, running to the Doctor.

/the Doctor\\

He sat wondering with Hydran about Derpy's sudden outburst of emotion. What could've happened? Maybe-

-"Doctor, something is definitely wrong with Derpy!" Lilly called out, running to him.

"What is it?" he asked, hopping to the ground.

"Dark forest green!"

"'Dark forest green'?"

"Ugh!" she groaned. "She's... She's in a really bad place of her mind right now. She feels victimized by the world, insecure, and her self esteem is hardly there."

He facepalmed. "How could I be so blind? I should automatically know! I must be the worst boyfriend in the entire history of the universe to her!" The Doctor groaned again out of disbelief. "I gotta go talk to her. Stay here," he rambled, already rushing to his assistant.

/Derpy\\

Her door opened. She shut her eyes together, a tear forcing out against her will. Someone sat on her bed and held her to them tightly.

Derpy looked up and saw the Doctor. "Derpy, you need to say something sooner," he whispered.

"I couldn't," she frowned.

"Why not?"

"Doctor, please... I've felt like this for so long now that it has become normal."

"Why did you only run off just now?"

She gulped. "I couldn't hold it back any longer. I've been..."

"Yes?"

She frowned again, looking up at him. "I've been blocking out my emotions since I was a filly."

"But you were crying a few days ago, weren't you?"

"I meant this specific emotion," she whispered sadly. Another tear fell from her eye but she ignored it.

The Doctor ran one of his hands through her hair with a concerned expression. "And which emotion is this?"

Derpy sniffled, tears streaming down her face. "Promise you won't overreact?"

"No promises," he smiled weakly.

Derpy gulped again, leaning closer to his ear. "Doctor, I... I don't... Doctor, I don't like myself anymore," she sobbed, "I hate myself... I hate myself so much!"

The Doctor tightened his grip on her and shook his head. "Why, Derpy?"

She buried her face in his suit, unable to answer.

"Love, you're amazing. Beautiful is an understatement," he whispered deeply into her ear. "I look into your eyes and I can see the universe. I'd stop all of time and space just to make you smile because you're so adorable when you do."

"But that's out of love, Doctor! If you weren't in love with me, would you still?"

"Yes, I absolutely would," he answered automatically.

"Why would you?"

"Why would you think I wouldn't?"

Derpy shook her head, pulling away from his embrace. "Doctor, no one likes me! No one! My eyes make me stupid! I run into stupid situations! I have horrible eyesight and even the best glasses wouldn't work! I'm awkward and clumsy and I can't talk right and I have an extremely high pitched voice and I–"

–the Doctor held her to him, attaching his lips onto hers for a few seconds. "And where did you hear this all from?"

"Everyone, including myself," she admitted, wiping her tears away although they kept coming.

"And is that why you're feeling so down? Because if you give me less than two minutes to talk I can make you a rebuttal for all of that."

"I'd like to see you try," she muttered, pouting.

"You have friends, Derpy, friends that care about you and like you and would do anything you asked. Your eyes don't make you stupid at all! In fact, you're very intelligent. You don't run into stupid situations, I accidentally make you, so the blame for that one is on me. Sure, your eyesight might be bad, but you aren't the only one! You aren't awkward. You aren't clumsy. Your talking doesn't need any work at all. Your voice is adorable, and I love it. Derpy, I love you."

Derpy shut her eyes, bowing her head and laying her forehead against his shoulder. "I just don't know what to think anymore, Doctor."

"On what topic? Still the victimized one?"

Derpy nodded into his shoulder.

His grip tightened again. "Tell me? Please?"

His assistant looked up and into his eyes. "I have two different minds, it feels like. One listens to me and says I am worthless, but the other is saying I'm perfect!"

"Think of the second one. It's the truth," he said soothingly, rubbing her arms.

"But what if it isn't?"

"Derpy," he said softly, taking her hands in his. "Am I ever wrong?"

"No, but it doesn't mean you can't be," she said under her breath.

The Doctor shut his eyes, holding Derpy to him tightly. "Sweetie, there are over three-hundred-million different problems in the world. You should be able to say you have the honor of having a grand total of zero. I'm here for you. I know how you feel, sweetheart, and I'm here to fight off your monsters and keep you safe. I've lived for 904 years and I never get a break with these different life lessons and experiences and memories, so you should be able to trust me. You don't need to argue with yourself. You should look in the mirror and tell you reflection that you look really, really attractive because you are." Derpy giggled at his last sentence, an embarrassed blush now on her cheeks. "See? Look. You're beautiful even when you cry. Your eyeliner didn't even run! You're talented in so many different ways and you didn't even know it!"

Derpy laughed weakly. "Stop," she smiled.

"Only if you promise me that you'll remember what I said and you'll listen to the right side?"

Derpy looked up at him one more time, grinning. "Fine."

The Doctor smiled, planting a short kiss on her lips before embracing her again.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"No big deal. Actually, it was a big deal but let's just say it wasn't." Derpy laughed again at his talking speed. "See? That's the Derpy we need around here. And... I'm sorry if it was about something I said back in the control room–"

"–it isn't. Trust me," she murmured back. "I just needed something to believe in."

The Doctor nodded. "I know how that feels. Just... Try to believe in yourself."

"But it's hard," she admitted.

"I know it is, baby, I know it is. If you are ever, Rassilon forbid, in a situation where you don't feel able to do something just tell yourself you can do it. Life is going to be hard to the best of us. We just have to find a way to push through. It isn't about how hard you are pushed; it's about how hard you can GET pushed and keep going. And it might seem excruciatingly hard at first but trust me when I say, with enough practice and hope and love, anything is possible. I know you, sweetie, and I know most, if not all, of your limits both psychically and mentally. So if you ever need help, I'm always going to be there for you until my dying breath no matter what happens."

Derpy nodded, kissing his cheek. "I love you, Doctor. Thank you."

He cradled her face. "Is there anything else you'd like to admit to feeling?"

"Well, I mean, I do want to kiss you right now. Other than that, though, the answer is no."

The Doctor chuckled, bringing their lips together. They linked and unlinked together hungrily and they both automatically began blushing. Derpy pulled away.

"I don't know how you do it," she giggled breathlessly.

"Do what?"

"How can you make me blush by only kissing me?"

He laughed huskily. "That's not my fault. Derpy, it seems you may be fantasizing about me."

"I think you're guilty too."

"Maybe I am."

Her blush deepened and she began kissing him again. His hands knotted in her hair and held her in place as his mouth began traveling her face.

Hydran knocked on the door, startling them both. "Is it seriously going to be like this every time I walk in on you two?"

"Just don't walk in," Derpy shrugged when the Doctor pulled away out of pure embarrassment. He laughed at her tone.

"Okay, well, I'll shut the door. I won't tell Lilly."

The door shut and the couple watched each other carefully before sharing a nervous laugh. "Now the question is, dear, do we salvage the moment or wait for another?" he asked, grinning.

"I'll say we do both," she suggested seductively.

He laughed, holding her to him again. Their lips crashed against each other's and his hand traveled down her back slowly. She laid down, pulling him down with her. They continued to kiss feverishly until they reached a consistent tempo. The Doctor moved her farther up her bed and sat back, watching her. "Do you want to do this?" he asked.

She giggled. "Why wouldn't I? You?"

He laughed, pulling her up to him again. She began taking off his jacket with ease and then moved onto his suit (which was actually surprisingly fast considering she still had a cast on her hand) as he began busying himself with her shirt, when all of the sudden a few seconds later–

The TARDIS lurched forwards, the Doctor falling onto Derpy. However they didn't blush when they realized the TARDIS wasn't doing that for their own sake.

"Doctor?" Derpy asked, tossing him his jacket and putting her shirt back on. "What's going on?"

"Derpy, love, although I hate to ruin that moment of ours, it seems the TARDIS might be traveling," he frowned disappointedly, hopping off of the bed in unison with Derpy.

"That's too bad," she giggled. "I really thought we had something going on there."

He chuckled, buttoning his suit. "Me too."

Derpy leaned against the wall watching him, waiting for instructions. He looked up at her and automatically walked to her. "Doctor?" she asked when he got so close he was directly against her.

"The TARDIS can wait," he said in a husky tone, pinning her arms above her head against the wall and locking his lips with hers. She returned his kiss passionately, a blush forming on her cheeks when their tongues touched. She eventually got her arms free and used his suit to pull him as close as possible.

The TARDIS lurched again, throwing Derpy in the Doctor's directions instead of vice versa. He groaned at the TARDIS. "Fine, fine," he pouted, pulling Derpy along with him to the control room.

Lilly blushed at them when they ran in hand and hand. Derpy gasped, "you told her, didn't you, Hydran?"

"No, no, he didn't," Lilly admitted. "You guys definitely know how to project images..."

The Doctor froze.

"Well, you definitely got to the Doctor," Hydran laughed.

/Lilly\\

"Yeah, yes you did," the Doctor agreed with a nervous laugh. "Did anyone touch the controls?"

Hydran and Lilly shook their heads.

"Then why are we traveling?" Derpy asked.

"Dear," he said, pushing in some levers, "you've travelled with the TARDIS and I for 7 months straight; you should know she has a mind of her own."

"Right," Derpy agreed, her right eye gliding upwards.

"Where's the TARDIS headed?!" Lilly asked anxiously, her and Hydran deciding to hold onto the railings surrounding the control system as the TARDIS began lurching more frequently and violently.

"It's saying 'unknown'," the Doctor exhaled, holding Derpy's good hand and the monitor's outside.

"And 'unknown', that's something bad?" Hydran asked.

"Could be."

"What do you mean, 'could be'?!" Lilly gasped out of disbelief.

"That it COULD be dangerous. That I don't know if it will be or not," the Time Lord answered.

A static was heard, and a message cut through the White Noise. A voice no one recognized (including the Doctor; Rachel said so) shot through the speakers.

"You will be upgraded, but not by me..."

/?\\

..."Emotionless you'll be, eternally," it sang. Scarlet smirked, disconnecting it and the Doctor's conversation.

/the Doctor\\

"Disconnected," a female, robotic voice declared.

"Doctor, what did that mean?" Hydran asked after a pause.

"'You will be upgraded, but not by me, emotionless you'll be, eternally,'" he recited. "What could that be hinting to...?"

"Well," Derpy said, laying on the couch, "think of our foes. 'Upgrading' and 'emotionless', wouldn't that describe a Cyberman?"

The Doctor looked at the ceiling, deep in thought. "Cybermen... Cybermen... CyBERMEN!" he repeated until he gasped. "Derpy, you intelligent woman, you are ingenious!"

Derpy sat up. "I was right?"

Lilly and Hydran laughed.

"Oh, cool, I was right!" Derpy grinned.

The Doctor, noticing that the TARDIS had stopped it's buzzing, ran to the double doors and opened them. They were in space, with it's cold air and bright stars. Out on the horizon he saw something with 4 lights blinking 4 times before it disappeared. He slammed the doors shut.

"Hmm?" Derpy asked.

"If I can lock on to the ships out there it could be a ship containing the Cybermen," he explained, lening against the doors. "But there's no reason to fight them if they haven't done anything to us or anyone-or-body else."

"Doctor," Lilly asked uneasily, "are you sure?"

"Well, yes. Well, actually, kind of leaning towards no... Well, fine, no, I'm not sure, but it doesn't mean we attack–"

–the TARDIS rang her cloister bells obnoxiously without stopping. Hydran jumped back in surprise. "Uh, why the bells?!"

"Like a fire alarm, Hydran, instead she uses it to warn us from danger," the Doctor explained. He opened the doors just in time to see the ship appear again and shoot a gold beam of energy from the ship to the Earth's atmosphere. "And now we know what the danger is." The Doctor whipped out his sonic screwdriver and partially scanned it, placing the screwdriver into a slot embedded in the control desk.

"What is it?" Lilly asked.

The Doctor let out a soft gasp once the TARDIS deciphered the golden mist a few moments later, running a hand nervously through his hair and inhaling through his teeth in a half-sigh. "It's pure solar energy, from the sun itself! If they keep spreading it into the atmosphere of Earth the planet will absorb it all and won't reflect it back into space because they cant adapt to the sudden change in time to protect itself. The planet will grow too hot for any forms of life whatsoever," he rambled.

"Why would they do that? Don't they need the humans to upgrade them?" Derpy asked.

"That's the point, mon armour," he exhaled. "What would drive them to commit genocide to a species they need to pass on their legacy to repopulate so their own species doesn't go extinct?"

Author's Note:

And there's the mystery.

Anyways. What do we think about Scarlet x Master? Haha, my friend (Scarlet's creator irl) was completely shocked when I brought the idea up. Pretty sure we all know what they did. And that wasn't too mature of a scene between Derpy and the Doctor, now was it?

Also, what are our thoughts of a special Christmas update? Like, a Christmas chapter uploaded on Christmas? I'll probably get it into the story after Doctor Who airs that day.

Reviews are appreciated and I'll do my best to get back to you! I'd like to know what I may or may not be doing wrong so I can fix it or use it to help me later on.

Thanks for reading,

— GothicPegasister


	21. Chapter 21

Doctor and Assistant, Chap. 21

Chapter 21: Solar Radiation... From Cybermen?! (Pt. 2)

/?\\

"And so you did WHAT?!" Scarlet gasped.

"They're looking for me. I mean, can you blame 'em? Once someone kills almost 1/2 of your race you'd do anything to get that person back," it shrugged.

"But why'd you kill almost 1/2?"

"Cause half of the Cybermen were loaded onto a ship with me, and I only killed half of that half."

"I mean a motive!"

"Felt like it."

Scarlet facepalmed. "Oh, oh, I see, you can just kill when you wanna? You know, just strollin' through town like, 'oh, I'll go commit half-genocide to this species cause it didn't smile when I gave it my salutations'?!"

"Salutations are important, my dear. You can see how someone feels about you in their eyes by shaking their hand. Plus, I'm sort of easily angered."

"Right, right. So, let's create a scenario. Let's say you see an adorable, fuzzy puppy with huge eyes -– and then it pisses on your shoe. You'd kill that puppy in front if it's mother and owner, wouldn't you?"

"...Shoes can be very expensive nowadays," it admitted with a laugh.

"You're no better than the Doctor."

"Uhm, ehem. First off, it wasn't my own species. And he killed ALL of them, except for two. I killed only half. 1/2. 0.5. 50%"

"Ingenious," she said sarcastically.

/Derpy\\

The Doctor grabbed onto a lever, typing so fast his hands were a blur a few pairs of numbers Derpy couldn't read properly from the angle she was facing. He met her gaze and cleared his throat. "Coordinates to that ship," he explained simply.

"Oh," Derpy nodded. "And you'll use them to lock on to the target, then stop them from killing the humans?"

"Mmhmm," he grinned, swinging himself back around to the controls and typing again.

The TARDIS's cloister bells repeatedly rang as if she didn't know the Doctor knew of the danger. Derpy groaned out of annoyance.

The Doctor smirked, pushing a lever back into the console. "Locked onto target. May have to do things a bit different, though. Everyone might wanna get a grip onto something."

"Why?" Lilly asked.

"If the Cybermen are moving their ship and we're trying to catch it...," he rambled, still typing, "then the ride'll be a bit bumpy. See, if space has no atmosphere and there is an object - a WEAK object, no less - attaching the TARDIS to another object much larger EXterior-wise that's excelling at over 70 miles per hour, the larger object will start to pull and heave the TARDIS through space. If there's no atmosphere and we aren't flying the TARDIS, the TARDIS will fall, and if she's pulled in a circular orbit around the Earth, the TARDIS will slowly raise upwards due to acceleration and to the—" he paused, swishing his body to face the door and waving his right hand "—right, away from the Earth."

"Can't we just teleport inside their ship?" Hydran suggested.

"TARDIS isn't cooperating. This is our only hope of getting inside," he explained sadly.

Lilly and Hydran ran to different stems inside of the TARDIS, but Derpy merely stayed at the controls next to her boyfriend. He clasped her hand in his.

"Who's ready?" he asked.

"Okay, let's say it together, then. We are losing daylight. And no pun intended," Derpy laughed. "3... 2... 1..."

And in unison, they all yelled "ALLONS-Y!"

/the Doctor\\

The Doctor ordered for everyone to keep their grips as he pushed in the big red button he'd emerged from inside of the control desk. Derpy kissed his cheek just as the TARDIS fell.

They gently at first began rising off of the floor before all at once they flew upwards. Their feet rose as they turned upside down, their hands the closest thing on their bodies to the floor.

The Doctor held onto Derpy's hand tightly, his other hand grasping onto the monitor's top. Hydran reached over and saved Lilly's faltering grip from causing her to fall upwards, nearly doing so himself. The TARDIS roared, lurched and spun like crazy before they were jerked to the floor and pulled to the right. But it slammed into something as soon as their feet touched the ground again, everything jumping forwards and slamming into whatever was in front of them. The Doctor held Derpy to his chest before the impact but it didn't soften the blow to the middle outer-side of her stomach. The hit spread lightning and fire to her kidneys. Hydran lost his grip, the two tumbling forward to the ground. The Doctor helped them up quickly, still trying to help Derpy lean against the control desk as it became obvious to everyone she'd knocked the wind out of herself.

He swaddled as much of his colleagues as possible and held them to him, using his left hand to steady and level himself enough to stand. Derpy gasped for air, her eyes panicked and filling with tears. As anticipation and suspense of something else happening rose higher they slammed into one more object, everyone falling onto their backs.

The Doctor crawled over to Derpy, blinking to clear his vision. She laid on the floor, her chest moving up and down hurriedly, but to no avail she got hardly any oxygen to filter through her lungs.

The sound of smoke and lasers filled the still TARDIS. Lilly checked on Hydran (who did the same in return) before kneeling next to the couple.

Derpy laid her head against the Doctor's chest as he cuddled her into a hug. "Hey, hey, sh, sh, sh, Derpy," he whispered, "you've knocked the wind out of yourself. Just calm down, in and out..., in and out...," he repeated, "I got you now."

/Hydran\\

Hydran staggered to his feet in shock of the crash. 'Are the rides in the TARDIS always like this?' he wondered mentally. He reached the door and peeked outside. Noticing an entire other room in front of him, he soon found himself thinking whether or not it were another room the Doctor hadn't spoken of.

"Doctor?" he asked. "Wasn't this the exit?"

"Indeed," he sighed, helping everyone up.

Lily cleared her throat. "Rachel is saying it's bright."

"Then we've found the solar source," the Doctor explained. "If the Cybermen have the solar energy, it should be blinding."

"Then how aren't they affected?"

"Cyborgs. They must have upgraded themselves to withstand the brightness. If they didn't, their circuits surely would be fried," he answered. After checking with Derpy one more time, he peeked outside to snicker at his surroundings.

"What is it?" Derpy asked, making her way towards him.

"It WAS Cybermen," he grinned. "Oh, that's fantastic, it's bloody fan-tast-IC!"

Derpy pursed her lips. "Good or bad?"

He exhaled, changing his attitude an entire 180°. "A bit of both, actually."

/the Doctor\\

"What's this?" Lilly asked, placing the sunglasses the Doctor handed out onto her face.

"Sonic-sunglasses," he grinned. "I soniced some sunglasses and added some bits."

"Brightness-shields?" Lilly laughed.

"It's so un-ingenious when someone calls them that," the Doctor murmured over his invention, "they have a scientific name, ya know."

"Fine, dad," Lilly sighed. "Then what's their 'scientific name'?"

He paused. "Brightness-shields," he admitted under his breath.

Derpy and Hydran broke out into a fit of laughter which soon enough became infectious, spreading like a disease would around the TARDIS as Lilly and the Doctor chimed in.

"Anyways, anyways," the Doctor said, hardly containing his laughter, "the sunglasses will reflect back any at all brightness, and this means it'll not only block out the sunlight but any ceiling lights, bulbs or lamps."

"Then how do we see?" Hydran asked. "And do I REALLY have to put these on all 3 pairs of eyes I have?"

"Answer to the second question first: would you rather be blind in 4/6 of your eyes? Answer to the first: night vision."

Lilly paused. "Night vision."

"Night vision!" he cheered with a large grin. "Okay. It's a thing that does a thing and then -BAM!- you see in the dark."

"...So, it's night vision?" Lilly asked.

"Oh my sweet mother of Rassilon," he groaned under his breath, facepalming.

"Sorry. I'm just out of it today," Lilly murmured. "Must be my powers taking their toll."

The Doctor frowned, remembering their tearful conversation earlier. He shook it off, however, and gestured for everyone to meet him at the doors.

"Wait, what was connecting the ships?" Hydran asked quietly.

"A thin wire," the Doctor answered.

"Then how could it possibly withstand the weight of the TARDIS? And what was that last bang about?" Lilly asked.

Derpy stepped out, her eyes adjusting. "Lilly, dear, I think we are in the Cybermen's ship..."

The Doctor hopped out too, noticing that the TARDIS had created a hole in the wall but filled it completely as well.

"I bet Scarlet would make some innuendos of this pertaining to us," the Doctor murmured to Derpy.

"Wherever she is, she's thinking up hundreds of jokes," his assistant agreed.

/Lilly\\

***(Time Jump, 0:1.07 Minutes (1 Minute 7 Seconds))

"Where do you think they are?" Lilly asked her Spirit Guide under her breath in a quiet manner.

"Follow the light," Rachel suggested.

The Doctor (who was at the head of the group, followed by Derpy, Hydran, and then herself) turned left through the hallways where the light intensified. He paused. "Dial down the brightness for your night vision."

"How?" Hydran asked.

"There's a rectangular base with 2 arrows. The arrow facing the ground is going to make it darker, so use that one right now. The up arrow is going to be used in dark rooms because it'll make it brighter," he explained. "And, Hydran, only turn one of your glasses. I circuited those specific 3 together so 1 pair tunes all."

They all did as told and entered a large triangular room. As the walls neared a missing piece of glass appeared, and they were noticeably using it to shoot the energy to Earth. A large gun centered it, surrounded by about 10 groups of Cybermen with 4 in each. The walls were a glossy white and the floors a marble black.

"How are we not suffocating and being pulled outside?" Lilly asked Rachel.

"Don't know," she shrugged.

"Ehem!" the Doctor cleared his throat loudly. "Stop the gun."

The Cybermen turned around swiftly, only 3 staying to fire and supervise. "Why." one asked.

(Author's Note: Cybermen are emotionless, so I'll be placing periods in replacement of question marks or exclamation points.)

"Because you are KILLING all of the humans!" the Doctor groaned. "That's GENOCIDE in its worst!"

"It's revenge," another shot back.

The Doctor froze. "H-H... How is it revenge?"

"Our criminal. He is there."

"And that is...?"

"Our slave."

"Who is...?!"

"Processing... He told us to call him 'the Master'."

The Doctor stopped breathing, his face paling. An expression of disbelief fell over him.

/the Doctor\\

"...And, was this a nickname?" he asked numbly.

"No. It was his name."

"And why is he your criminal, exactly?"

"He killed half of us. He escaped from our prison, and then was tracked on Earth."

/the Master or ?\\

"So, do you think that they'll try to negotiate?" he asked Scarlet.

"Totally," she laughed.

"What do you think they'll make as the deal?"

"I don't know. But this is getting annoying; who likes to hear people talking for a straight hour? Just hack them already."

He grinned, typing so quickly into the computer his hands were a blur. "And... I am in control."

/the Doctor\\

"Leave or be deleted," a Cyberman ordered suddenly.

The Doctor felt his face regain it's color. Derpy gripped onto his hand tightly, her thumb running over it softly. "What?" he heard himself ask.

"We've told you too much. Leave or be deleted, Doctor."

"In case you've forgotten, you still need to stop baking the Earth," he reminded them in a snarl of disbelief.

"Incorrect," a different Cyberman shot back.

The Doctor stepped forwards toward the gun and a Cyberman fired behind him. Lilly fell to the floor in a gasp, which the Doctor saw when he turned around was because she was just hardly missed.

"You were warned," the Cyberman that had shot Lilly said.

/Lilly\\

The Doctor's breathing turned heavy, his fists clenching together as soon as Derpy let go. "Lilly, are you alright?" he asked.

Lilly nodded frantically.

The Doctor whirled himself around, walking into the face of the Cyberman who had fired. "You shouldn't have done that...," he growled, "you REALLY shouldn't have. Turn the gun off."

"Why should we."

The Doctor backed away so all of the Cybermen could see him. "Because they have a name for me out here. They all have myths and legends about me, about my name, about my capabilities. They all call me 'the Oncoming Storm'. Because, listen here, if I need to rescue something, it gets rescued. If I need something done, it gets done. And if I say something stops, it STOPS. Now,mid you haven't noticed, I care greatly for 3 things: my friends, my family, and the universe. And you just tarnished 3 of those 3."

The Cybermen stayed silent.

"Now," the Doctor muttered, pulling out of his pocket his sonic screwdriver in a flash, "your radiations stop."

The Doctor zapped the gun, sparks flying everywhere. Hydran pulled Lilly up to a standing position.

/Derpy\\

The Cybermen turned to face the fun which had burst into flames in shock.

"I am destroying the gun, not the Cybermen!" the Doctor yelled in declaration. "No genocide! None! And when you lot repopulate your species, and you all evolve, teach them, the new ones and yourselves, that genocide is NEVER the answer!"

The Doctor nodded at the Cybermen before walking away, but he turned back one last time.

"That shield-or-whatever you got set up? Yeah, it'll ware off soon. And I don't know if this 'Master' is of your imaginations, or if he is even the man you say he is. But if he ever comes around again, tell him the Doctor says 'hi'."

And then they left.

***Time Jump (1:17.59 (1 Hour, 17 Minutes, 59 Seconds))***

"Happy birthday!" they all cheered Lilly, who had an embarrassed smile on her face.

"Thanks, guys," she murmured.

"Sorry we couldn't get you any presents," the Doctor frowned, running an awkward hand through his hair.

"Oi, Doctor, how about a smile, yeah?" Lilly laughed. "Seriously, though. I'm alright. And the one thing I want is impossible to get."

/Scarlet\\

"Hey, my love, you're looking blue...," the Master said huskily, moving her light blue hair out of her eyes.

"Just a bit... semi-homesick," she admitted, playing with a strand of her hair between two fingers.

The Master frowned, linking their lips together shortly before taking her hand. "Hey, what I'd I drop you off, my darling?"

"What?" she gasped. "You mean, the TARDIS, drop me off?!"

"Why, of course, my lover," the Master smiled. He let go of her hand, waltzing over to the controls.

Scarlet flew next to him. "Someone's a bit too happy to get rid of their girlfriend," she whispered into his ear.

"Mmm, oh contrare," he whispered back, "I'm only in a rush because I know I'll see you again."

"How soon?"

"Soon."

"And what dangers do you have left to use?"

"Only a few. This next one, I actually had to get into the TARDIS. Thankfully I wasn't caught... But I freed them, all 3."

/the Doctor\\

"I am so lonely with you three," Hydran laughed at the hugging family inside of the TARDIS. "You're always hugging because you're all related. I wish Scarlet was here, so I'm not the only loner."

A knock echoed on the doors and they swung open. Smoke poured in, and, lo and behold, Scarlet stepped in. Her wings were extended, looking new and metallic, almost robotic. "Step aside, peasants," she said to the doors.

Hydran began choking on air. "Y-Y-You-! I wished, I wished that-! It came true-!"

"What, like a genie or something?" the Doctor asked, astonished (like everyone else) at Scarlet's sudden appearance. He jumped up, sitting on the couch.

"Just like you to say that, Doc," Scarlet said in her American accent.

"Hmm? Why so?" he asked.

"Because I know that you told Derpy to run your lamp so you could pop out."

Lilly and Derpy both paled, but his girlfriend blushed before running into the hallway with Hydran so she wouldn't be seen laughing at the embarrassing joke. The Doctor's breathing stalled and he clenched his fists to try and hide his blush, but it didn't work.

"Scarlet, what a pleasure to see you again," he muttered sarcastically. "...Missed your jokes."

"I'm sure it's also such a huge pleasure to you to see Derpy," she shot back with a laugh.

Derpy yelled a string of "nope"s and ran off. The Doctor covered his face.

"Great. Scared her away," Scarlet smirked. "Now you can't-"

"-There is a 13 year old in the room! Don't you dare!" the Doctor gasped.

"I was gonna say kiss her, you daft, dirty-minded freak!" Scarlet laughed.

Author's Note:

Well, welcome back, Scarlet!

Apologies for the last chapter. It did sound a bit rushed, but, I mean, we are nearing the end of Doctor And Assistant and I had so many ideas. I tried to keep the main purpose of the plot somewhat fluent, but I can't do everything right.

Remember how I was talking about a Christmas upload-chapter?

I'm currently slaving over my phone to try and get this Christmas chapter finished. I'm only about 1/2 of the way through, and it seems if I keep up on this rate there's a 1.2% chance it'll be finished in time. So, I will leave you with this, and expect a Christmas chapter, either on or not on the 25th.

Now I must watch Five Days Of The Doctor for inspiration.

Also, thank you everyone for 1,019 views to this fanfiction! Rising like crazy now! Thank you guys so, so, so much!

Happy Holidays! (Because I don't know everyone's celebrated holiday, I figured to say it. *shrugs*.)

-GothicPegasister


	22. Chapter 22

Doctor and Assistant, Chap. 22

Chapter 22: Have A Holly Jolly Witchmas

Caution: SOME MATURITY IS IN THIS CHAPTER.

/the Doctor\\

***Time Jump (3 Weeks Later)***

The Doctor jumped out of bed, changed into his suit, brushed his teeth, and ran to his girlfriend who was watching the monitor -all in under 6 minutes.

"What?" she asked, turning to face him completely.

"Your cast!"

"What about it?"

He finally reached her, grabbed her good hand, and began running with her to the medbay.

"Can you tell me? It's my cast, right?" she laughed.

He stopped running, turning to her with an anxious smile. "We can take your cast off now!"

"How?"

"Well, for starters, a saw."

"'Saw'?"

"Yeah. Its a machine that sounds like a lawnmower and slices through objects."

Derpy gulped loudly.

"I won't let it get you, my dear. Do I seem like that type of person?" He began running to the medbay again. "And I have something planned afterwards."

"Which is...?"

"Secret."

Derpy groaned. "The one time you make up a plan and it's not in the heat of the moment," she giggled.

"Oh, shut up, you love me," he teased playfully, now running backwards as he turned to face her.

"You're right, I do," she laughed.

/Derpy\\

***Time Jump (1 Hour Later)***

A light and peaceful snow fell onto the ground and the Doctor, holding her hand, almost literally bounced out of the TARDIS.

"Why are you so excited over this plan?" she asked him with a giggle.

"It's Christmas Eve, silly!"

"And?"

"Don't you do things like that over in Equestria?"

"Yeah, duh. What's so good about Christmas on Earth?"

"Well, the children get presents and whatnot. And it seems in Manhattan, they were hit hard by the shoppers! Like a herd of suicidal cows knocking everything out of their way to get to that cliff."

Derpy sighed. "Not an allusion I wanted to know."

"Yeah," he inhaled through his teeth in a half-sigh, "not the best of 'em all."

"Anyways, for the adults?"

"Right, right. They get to enjoy the holiday cheer!"

Derpy shook her head to hide a smile. "I swear, Doctor, you're such a child - and I love every bit of it."

"That's good. You'd probably have to wait until my next regeneration for it to change. And only Gallifrey knows how long that'll be..." he trailed off. "Anyways. How about, since Scarlet is sick with Lilly and Hydran watching over her, we can enjoy ourselves with a day on the town?"

"And what do you suppose we do?" she asked.

He leaned closer to her. "Whatever we need to," he said huskily.

"You're so cute," she whispered, "especially when you say things like that."

He rolled his eyes, embracing his assistant.

"What about the rest of our crew?" she asked.

"I already told Lilly I had originally planned for us 4, well, 5, counting Rachel, to go, but she declined. She wanted us to have some alone time."

"That's what everyone's doing," Derpy giggled.

"And then, as you know, Scarlet is sick, and Hydran can't really go outside without attracting attention."

Derpy nodded.

"Oh, and another good part of Christmas?"

"What is it?"

"Snow."

"No way! Is it the same?"

Before the the Doctor could react to her question she grabbed a few snowballs and threw them at him. He gasped sarcastically, running to the opposite side of the TARDIS.

Suddenly a snowball flew over the TARDIS and landed on the top of her head. She shrieked, laughing. She ran over to his side of the TARDIS and launched a few at his chest and he fell down onto his back in defeat.

"Where's my white flag?" he asked sarcastically.

"Knowing you, it's probably in your pockets," she giggled, sitting next to him. "You know, I can get used to this entire Christmas-with-hands thing."

"So, are you used to snow on Earth?"

"Sort of. Why-"

-the Doctor laughed, throwing his last snowball high up into the air. Then, with a buzz of his sonic screwdriver, the ball exploded into a white fluff and fell onto them.

"Hey, no fair!" she whined sarcastically. "You're an alien!"

"Hey, so are you!"

"But you're a cooler alien."

He rolled his eyes. "You could fly."

"You are a Time Lord."

"You were a Pegasus."

"You have a box that travels through time!"

"And space," he added sheepishly.

"Oh, shut up," Derpy smiled, kissing his cheek.

He blushed, sitting up and draping hand arms casually around her shoulders. "Hey," he smiled, tracing patterns on her thigh, "I was thinking we could head out pretty soon."

"Mmhmm? And what can we do?"

"Derpy, what is with you and formal invitations?" he chuckled softly. "Would you like to have our first date today?"

"Didn't we already have one?"

"Yeah, but not really. We were disturbed by some Angels. So I automatically told myself 'hey, this doesn't count'."

"So, basically, a redo?"

"You just made me feel so bloody guilty," he laughed weakly.

Derpy blushed, looking down before smiling up at him. "I would love to."

He linked their lips together shortly. "Good. Suppose we change into some warmer clothes?"

"Okay," she smiled, letting him pull her up to her feet.

Now in a long-sleeved black sweater, black boots, dark jeans, and gray gloves/scarf combination, Derpy walked our of her room and saw the Doctor leaning against the wall across from the door.

"Oh! You're done!" he grinned, jolting from his slouch to an upright position.

She twirled in a quick circle shyly. "How do I look?"

"Gorgeous," he smiled earnestly, giving her a quick and deep kiss.

"Why didn't you change into anything warmer?" she asked in return.

"I'm a Time Lord. Coldness is the least of my worries," he replied.

"And everyone knows we'll be outside?"

"I told Lilly and Hydran, and left Scarlet a note since she was asleep. The TARDIS will translate it for her when she wakes up because I accidentally wrote it in Gallifreyan and I'm too lazy to rewrite it," he rambled in one breath, his madman grin ever present.

"Good," Derpy smiled, touching the tips of their noses together. "I'm so excited!"

"Me too," he laughed, kissing the top of her head and holding her hand, swinging it back and forth as they walked.

The Doctor held out the door for her her and together they hopped out with a laugh. "So, where are we going first?" she asked.

He pondered it in his head before smiling. "We can just walk around and go wherever we want to. I mean, I got a psychic paper to help."

"Oh, Doctor," she smiled back, leaning lightly against him. "I love you."

"I love you too, dear." He wrapped his left arm around her waist and held her to him tightly.

Together they ventured into town. The sky was a pale blue, the clouds a dark gray. Kids laughed and played happily, romping through the closed streets. Music was playing through speakers and couples were dancing. Everyone had smiles on their faces.

Derpy looked at the Doctor who was already looking down at her. "Beautiful, isn't it?" he asked. "You know, I came here once. Encountered some Daleks trying to build the Empire State Building."

"Oh! The one with the pig-men?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yup!"

"You're insane," she giggled.

"You're the same," he laughed.

(Author's Note: Okay whoever got that reference to the awesome YouTube video "Wholock: The Musical" deserves a high-five.)

"Am not!" she grinned.

"Really? You have my smile."

Derpy pursed her lips softly but the smile broke through and shone. She tilted her head up a bit and planted a sweet kiss on his lips that she wanted to last forever.

He looked down, smiling at her. "Have you ever ice-skated before?" he asked out of the blue.

"Doctor, I've only been human while I'm with you. Ponies don't use them, remember?"

He laughed again, continuing his walk. "Wanna try?"

"Try to use ice skates?" He nodded. "Be ready to catch me, then, because if I fall I'm blaming you - twice."

(Author's Note: so many references! Talk about some Flesh and Stone!)

So they began walking to a nearby outdoor rink, watching the people around them and keeping small talk going, when the Doctor's form stiffened and he froze.

"Doctor?" Derpy asked, stepping in front of him.

His gaze was locked onto something far off to the right.

Derpy placed her hands against his chest, feeling his mesmerizing heartbeat. "Doctor, come on, what's wrong?"

"...Nothing. Lets go." His smile was forced.

She dropped her hands, linking his and hers together. "Not until you say what happened."

"I saw someone. Or, at least, I thought I did," he rambled, squeezing her hand and walking again.

"Hmm."

But Derpy kept walking. Trying to ignore how skittish the Doctor was, she watched everything around them instead, accidentally stepping on his foot. He flinched slightly and Derpy automatically gasped an apology before he laughed: "I'm alright."

"Can... Can you tell me who you thought you saw?"

"I wouldn't want to scare you, my dear."

"Remember, Doctor? It's been 8 months of non-stop traveling for us! We've seen more than the average eye."

He laughed vibrantly, his arm now resting around her shoulders. "Do you believe in witchcraft?"

She paused. "Witchcraft?"

"Like, witches using voodoo dolls and casting spells they've mixed in cauldrons?"

"I guess, sort of. I mean, does Lilly count?"

"I don't think so. At least, not in this manner of speaking for the topic."

"Well... Then, no."

He paused, pursing his lips expressionlessly. "Okay," he nodded.

Derpy waited for him to dwell further into the topic but it didn't come. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason," he said, obviously lying.

Derpy punched his shoulder playfully. "Come on, Doctor, you can't possibly think that'd work with me. Remember? 8 months and 3 days!"

The Doctor laughed nervously, a frightened gleam in his eyes. "Did I ever tell you about the time I met William Shakespeare?"

/the Doctor\\

"Well, no..., but can you tell me anyways?" Derpy asked.

The Doctor nodded, scouting out a bench for them to sit on. After finding a reasonable seat the Doctor sat her down next to him. "Okay. Well, I was with my second companion. Nice woman named Martha Jones. She was an actual doctor - well, not at the time, but she is now!"

"Good for her," Derpy smiled as an excuse to move closer to him. She'd gotten used to him rambling around the subject and purposely going off-topic.

"Yes, good for her. Anyways, back on topic, silly old me. The main reason I asked you that was because of the sole fact Martha and I had been confronted by witches who were manipulating Shakespeare and making him write an evil spell," he explained in one breath. "And... We wouldn't have made it out alive if not for William's brilliant mind."

"Really?" she gasped.

"Yeah, and Shakespeare seemed a bit smitten towards Martha. Poorly for him, though, we couldn't affect his life in any ways or forms."

Derpy rolled her eyes, her hand falling flat against the snow next to her on the bench. The Doctor laughed at her reaction. "But what does witchery have to do with what you just saw?"

He paused. "I love you, Derpy, and I would never say anything or do anything to put you in danger. Well, never intentionally."

Derpy switched to sitting on his leg, kissing his lips shortly. "Just tell me."

The Doctor drew in a deep breath. "We were confronted by 3 witches: Mother Doomfinger, Mother Bloodtide, and Lilith. No, not our Lilith, a different Lilith. And... yeah. I thought I just saw one," he shrugged.

"How did you get rid of them?"

"I locked them in a ball inside of the TARDIS attic."

"...Is that all?"

"That is all."

Derpy's hand traced his sharp jawline. "Are you sure?"

"As sure as I could be."

"I believe you," she admitted.

He grinned triumphantly. "Can we get back to our date now?"

She nodded, resting her head in between his shoulder and his neck, letting out a sigh before standing up. "And where are we going?"

"Ice skating," he smiled, taking her hand.

(4 Minutes Later)

"I think your actually getting the hang of it!" the Doctor exclaimed, holding both of her hands in his.

Derpy giggled. "Don't jinx me!"

"Pfft," he rolled his eyes sarcastically. Derpy kissed his cheek, and out of surprise a light blush spread around his face. She grinned.

"You're adorable," she said.

He laughed, spinning her as they followed the rink's path and curved to the left. "You're adorable-er."

"Because that's a word," she laughed.

"It is in my book."

Derpy laughed freely again. "Hey, I have a question."

"Mmhmm?"

"I know this is a natural dating question that everyone asks their other, but why did you decide to kiss me? Like, when did you find out you had a crush on me?"

He kissed the tip of her nose, swinging her outwards when they reached the next turn on the rink. He joined her back to him, and caught her when she nearly fell. "It was when you asked me to accompany you on Hearts and Hooves day even though we were humans. Well, on Earth, at least, cause I'm a Time Lord. From then on out, I was falling for you over and over again," he said huskily.

Derpy snickered.

"And it seems to be a long-term effect. You've taken my hearts, Derpy."

That's when she blushed.

"So, what about you?"

Derpy smiled. "One month after we began traveling. I saw you save the little girl's life from a Cyberman and I was just in awe."

The Doctor grinned at the memory. "Hey, how about we get off of the rink and-"

"-WHOOPS!" a woman gasped suddenly, running into the Doctor. He fell with Derpy in his grasp to the ice, feeling something plucked from his head.

The Doctor quickly turned to see who had run into him but all he saw was a black cloak, pointed fingernails painted black, and tweezers just barely covered completely with a thin piece of hair.

His hair.

"Derpy, get her!" was all he remembered saying before the intensity set in.

/Derpy\\

The Doctor said something but she had read his expression well enough to know this wasn't normal. She was already rushing, using railings to propel her forwards. Everyone quickly dispersed from the rink.

The Doctor caught up with the woman and grabbed her wrist, stopping her from moving. Derpy stopped when she reached them.

"What're we doing?" she asked breathlessly.

The Doctor stayed silent, studying the young woman's features intensely and pushing her out of the ring. Derpy felt a pang of jealousy but wiped it away almost immediately.

"She's a Carrionite," the Doctor muttered.

"How nice of you to notice!" the girl smiled. "I've missed you. And whatever happened to that Martha Jones girl?"

"What are you doing on Earth?" the Doctor asked, holding her still.

"It's simply lovely."

"Come on, Lilith, you know I am not messing around!"

"Lilith...?" Derpy heard herself ask.

/the Doctor\\

"I see you've told another about me," Lilith grinned. She held out a free finger, pointing at his assistant.

"Don't you dare!"

"Doctor?" Derpy asked, clinging onto his arm.

"I do dare. Instead of on 4, on 2 legs she moves, I name thee Ditzy Doo Hooves!"

Derpy began falling to the ground but the Doctor, letting go of Lilith, held Derpy to him in a tight and secure grasp.

"Funny. Again, she's only asleep!" Lilith laughed. "Out of her time AND place! Doctor, what have you been doing?"

"She's not from Earth," he stated. "Now answer my question."

"The Carrionites were freed, but only I and my Mothers. We 3 split up in search of you, and now I've found you."

"Who possibly could've freed you? You were in the attic!"

"Someone with new words, a wider vocabulary. Someone with words which can shimmer and sparkle. Someone who claimed, and turned out to be, better than Shakespeare himself."

"And who is this?"

"He called himself ' the Master'," Lilith smiled dreamily, "and he was wonderful."

"What did he say?" he asked, standing after setting his assistant on the ground.

That snapped her back into reality. "Nothing. It doesn't matter."

"What are you trying to do?!"

"We are trying to get to you, Doctor... And now we know you have 2 hearts. We also know your past...," she murmured, placing a finger on his chest and pulling herself closer to him. "And we know about your lives."

"Stop," he growled.

She pulled away. "The Master warned you'd be like that. With your fancy girlfriend you won't let anyone else in."

"How did he know about Derpy?"

"He said there's a little birdie who tells him everything," she smirked. "Oh, and Doctor, what a past you have... we learned your name."

The Doctor stalled, his breathing weak. They couldn't know! "But... The Master, the Master doesn't know my name! I never told him!"

"Doctor, you don't know...?"

"The naming won't work on me!" the Doctor argued.

"With dangers trailing not far from your dorm, I name thee the Oncoming Storm!"

/(New!)Lilith\\

The Doctor fell to the ground next to Derpy. It wasn't his real, true name, but it was close. He was known as the Oncoming Storm. If you ask anyone or anything in the solar system about the Doctor, they'd refer to him as the Oncoming Storm.

It'd only work for a few moments. He was stronger than the others. Now was her chance.

Lilith bent down in front of the fallen Time Lord, plucked a second piece of hair from his head, and after retrieving her wooden doll from her dress tied it around the head. After knotting it tightly, she retrieved a pin and stabbed the right leg eight times, as the Master had taught her.

One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four.

The Doctor groaned out of pain and Derpy sat up. Lilith fled.

/Derpy\\

The Doctor lay on his side next to her, his hands scrunched up against his chest. He didn't seem peaceful, though, he looked like he wanted to wake up. His eyes were noticeably moving under their lids and a small, weak groan emerged from his mouth.

"Hey, hey, Doctor, come on... Come on," she said, shaking his shoulder lightly. "Doctor..."

The Doctor's eyes shot open. "Derpy! Where's Derpy? Is Derpy okay?!"

"Doctor, I'm alright," she laughed, hugging him. "Is that how you usually wake up when I'm not around?"

"...Maybe."

"Aw," she said, snuggling closer to him, "that's adorable."

The Doctor tightened his grip around her, going limp in one exhale. "I just don't want anything to happen to you."

Derpy giggled, kissing his cheek. "Are you okay? And what happened to me?"

"Yes, I'm okay. And it's the power of a name. Works only once, and it's the oldest trick in the book," he explained into her hair. "That was the witch-Lilith."

"And What irony it is that you explained her to me the moment she came. Did you summon her or something?"

"Hope not," he laughed, kissing her softly before letting go of her.

Derpy stood up, waiting for the Doctor to do so as well. However, he only gave her a questioning glare. "Are you going to get up?"

The Doctor frowned. "I... I can't."

"What do you mean 'you can't'?" Derpy asked.

"Derpy, I mean I can't. I can't get up. I cant feel my leg."

Derpy "aw"ed sadly, kneeling next to the Doctor. He sat up and she wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Good thing I'm here," she whispered into his ear.

He laughed, allowing Derpy to pick him up. Although resting his weight upon his assistant, the Doctor felt a shock of numbing pain run up his right leg, leaving fire in it's wake. He let out a gasp and fell back down, Derpy standing still above him with a frown.

"Doctor, you weren't lying," she frowned.

"Really, I didn't know," he said sarcastically, trying to push himself up.

"Wow, Doctor. In pain and able to be sarcastic at the same time."

"I'm a Time Lord. We do that," he said earnestly before chuckling to himself.

Derpy extended her arm and he graciously took it, pulling himself up and then groaning through his pain.

"I have to keep going," he told Derpy. "We need to get back to the TARDIS. The medbay will have something; it always does."

"Doctor," Derpy sighed, "what do we do about Lilith? Do you think the Mothers are coming too?"

"Would you like the truth?"

"Yes, please."

"...I think so."

***Time Jump (12 Minutes Later)***

"Witches?" Lilly asked.

The Doctor slipped a syringe into his leg and groaned through the pain of the numbing solution he had injected. "Yeah," he muttered in response.

"And how do we get rid of them?" Scarlet asked, coughing slightly afterwards.

"Words." He swung his legs over the side of a second medbay-bed and Derpy rushed to him. "No, no," he said, holding up his hand.

"You're okay?"

"Yeah, I just needed some medicine," he nodded.

"So..., how did you get hurt?" Lilly asked after a pause.

"I'm thinking it was Lilith. The witch-Lilith," the Doctor admitted. "Took some of my hair and then BAM! You got yourselves a DNA replication module."

They all glared at him nonchalantly, a confused gleam in their eyes.

He rolled his eyes and exhaled. "Fine. Voodoo."

Derpy giggled, taking his arm and looping hers around his. "Doctor, we need to go and stop them. And how do we do that?"

"Lilly, what tricks have you got up your sleeve today, my dear?" the Doctor asked her.

"What does that mean?" Lilly responded.

"Think, think. Listen: we need to defeat the Carrionites one last time. In 1599 England when I and Martha first met them, they unleashed the Carrionites, the actual forms. They were like skeletal ravens flying hellishly through the stadium."

Lilly paused for a few moments. "I could use... Mind over matter. And... Oh! Mind over matter, telekinesis, and mind reading," Lilly smiled. "Two are harder than the one."

"How would they work?" Hydran asked.

"Mind over matter is basically pushing away your emotions to focus on the task at hand; you don't care how you feel until the situation is over and done with. Telekinesis, I will be able to pick things up. And then mind reading..., if I am reading their mind I can know their plan as long as there are no locked doors."

The Doctor nodded. "Hydran, stay and look after Scarlet. Scarlet, stay put. Nowhere but the medbay; you are sick. Derpy and Lilly, come with me."

He stood up completely, grabbing the 2 girl's hands and clamping his around them.

"Avante!" he yelled happily, running out of the TARDIS.

/(New!)Lilith\\

"Come with me, my Mothers and feel the Earth beneath your feet once more! The Doctor is found!" Lilith called out. "Mother Doomfinger and Mother Bloodtide, stop your searches, for I have found the Master's requested person! The Doctor is found!"

/the Doctor\\

The Doctor felt something buzz in his brain. He froze, completely and utterly confused.

"Doctor?" Derpy asked.

The Doctor leaned against the controls and spun a few levers. "I think that the TARDIS is communicating with me."

/Derpy\\

"What?" Derpy gasped.

Lilly froze. "That buzzing in your brain? Me too."

The Doctor grinned excitedly. "I'm helping the reception. It sounds fuzzy..."

"Can you tell me what she is saying?" Derpy requested.

Lilly exhaled shakily, somehow with a different persona than the Doctor who had the same thing happening. "The TARDIS is saying that Lilith has summoned the Mothers, who are unleashing the Carrionites..., and they're all going after the Doctor."

/the Master\\

"Master!" Lilith called out.

"Yes, my dear?" he answered through an intercom that was wired into an earpiece (which was being worn by all 3 Carrionites).

"Say the words!"

The Master cleared his throat, reading a slip of paper Lilith had written out for him. "The light of Shadmock's hollow moon doth shine onto a point in space betwixt Dravidian shores, Dravidian shores linear five-nine-three-oh-one-six and strikes the fulsome grove of Rexel Four."

/the Doctor\\

Screams erupted outside.

"What is that?!" Lilly gasped.

"That's our cue," the Doctor said in a forced whisper. He ran outside with the girl's in tow and saw the clouds had turned a deep dark gray, and Carrionites flew rapidly throughout their visions. They soared through the sky, screeching and howling.

"And those are the Carrionites," Lilly muttered.

"Correct," the Doctor frowned.

"And how in the name of Celestia are we going to defeat them?" Derpy asked.

The Doctor pulled out of his pocket the ball he had originally trapped the Carrionites in. "This beauty, of course."

"How...?" Lilly asked. "Your pocket...?"

"I'm a Time Lord. Everything is bigger on the inside - it's just what we do."

Derpy and Lilly laughed.

The Doctor then frowned. "But we can't do it yet."

"What?" Derpy exclaimed.

"Derpy, my dear... You once asked me what kind of man I am. And... And I am the man who gives everyone a chance. Just no seconds."

"But you've given them a chance already," Lilly reminded him.

"And I realize now I've never given them one in the first place," he whispered. "And I realize now I was wrong."

Derpy pulled him into a short yet passionate kiss. "Doctor, make sure you never change."

He laughed, blushing. "I won't."

Lilly stood there with her arms crossed and a large grin on her face. "You two are perfect."

Derpy giggled embarrassedly. "Everyone, and I mean everyone is saying that."

Lilly stuck out her tongue teasingly, then watched the Carrionites in silence.

The Doctor walked to Lilly, knelt next to her, and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong?"

She looked over and hugged him weakly before pulling away. "I just find it weird how they can be so incredibly hostile and dangerous to everyone, but when I look at them I think they're beautiful."

"No, no, there is something else... Lilly, please tell me?" the Doctor requested.

Lilly exhaled shakily to keep her composure. "I don't want anything to happen to you..."

The Doctor pulled her into a comforting hug. "Why would that happen?"

"The TARDIS said that the Carrionites are coming for you. Not me, not Derpy, not Scarlet or Hydran or anyone else, you. And I feel something's about to happen."

The Doctor kissed the top of his daughter's head. "Hey, don't worry about me. I'm over 900 years old. I'm sure to know a trick or two." Lilly laughed and he let go, ruffling the preteens hair slightly. "My main priorities are you and Derpy. Trust me."

Lilly nodded, ruffling the Doctor's hair too. "Revenge," she stated with a giggle.

The Doctor stood up after exchanging smiles with his daughter one last time, walking a few seconds until he was directly underneath the Carrionites' cloud's center.

"Now, Carrionites, I am demanding you to stop!" he yelled.

Both Mothers, Bloodtide and Doomfinger emerged from the dark depths of the cloud with Lilly trailing behind. They hadn't changed into their real forms like the others, so they all looked the same old age.

"Yes, you have heard me. I'm back, girls, and I'm not looking to fight. I'll give you one chance, or..."

"'Or' what? Lilith, Doomfinger, do you hear this Time Lord?" Mother Bloodtide cackled. "Doctor, you don't even have any useful weapons!"

"You want to destroy and kill the Doctor under the name of the Master," Lilly murmured in one exhale.

Mother Doomfinger blinked a few times, shock exclaiming itself in her expression. "How could you possibly know that?"

The Doctor grinned. "I suppose you could say, 'its witchcraft'."

/Lilly\\

Lilly extended her hands. Feeling her power flowing through her veins and trailing up her arms, she blew all three witches back around a several-ten feet (Author's Note: a.k.a 30. I don't even know if that's grammatical.)

"Carrionites, stop the attack or I shall declare your imprisonment once again!" the Doctor exclaimed.

The 3 witches dove at them, barely missing Derpy who had ducked down in time. Lilly extended her arms once more, locking them in place. Much to the time travelers amusement, Bloodtide, Doomfinger and Lilith didn't try to escape.

"Will you or will you not stop this attack on New York?!" Derpy asked loudly.

"Never! Carrionites, kill on sight!" Lilith declared.

But the Doctor was already talking. "Close up this din of hateful, dire decay, decomposition of your witches' plot! You thieve our brains, and consider me your toy, yet my doting intelligence tells me I am not! Foul Carrionite spectres, cease your show! Between the points seven-six-one-three-nine-oh! Banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee: Expelliarmus!"

The Carrionites screeched and howled as Lilly let them go. The Doctor held out the crystal ball, and Doomfinger, Bloodtide and Lilith were sucked in, the rest of the Carrionites into a tornado. The swooshing sounds stopped, silence echoing except for the sounds of clapping.

Everyone who had been attacked, any who had died were now up and walking again. They approached the time traveling duo shouting praises and thanks. The Doctor ran to his Derpy and Lilly.

"In the beginning of my incarnation London learned of aliens. I suppose now it's time for New York to join in," the Doctor murmured so only his family could hear. He smiled at the crowd.

"What were they?" someone asked.

"Carrionites from the year 1500!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Witches. Is everyone alright?"

Everyone nodded.

"Then I suppose it's time for us to go. Stay safe," he yelled, walking Derpy and Lilly back into the TARDIS, where they set sail for an orbit in space.

***Time Jump, 4:09:00 (Four hours and Nine Minutes later)(8:38 P.M.)***

/Derpy\\

Lilly excused herself to go to her room, exiting the control room. Derpy, who had been searching the control desk for some sort of heater, turned to the Doctor.

"Don't ya think we'd be warmer if you shut those doors?" she giggled, walking closer to him.

Derpy sat down on his leg and he hooked his arm around her mid back, his feet dangling out of the TARDIS. "Derpy, my love, we are in outer space. We won't not be cold," he chuckled, his gaze on a distant star.

"Oh, whatever," she smiled. "Where or when can we go next?"

"Love, why must you think of the future so often, when the present may be so much greater?" he asked dramatically.

"Oh, you cute little poet, I ask of the future so I know how long I have in the present," she whispered.

"I wonder why this is so?"

"Oh, shut up with your poetic-ness," she giggled, placing her lips onto his but not kissing him.

He smirked, the movement tickling her lips. "Why are you waiting?"

"I'd keep this moment frozen forever if I had the choice," he said.

"Well I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry because you just seem to fixed on that decision and I'm about to mess it up," he rambled, tilting his head slightly to the side and kissing her deeply.

She wrapped her arms around his neck before leaning away. "If that's how you mess up my plans, I better make more for you to mess up," she giggled breathlessly.

He smiled, an embarrassed blush forming on his cheeks. "I'll see to that."

"Okay, I'm serious. The poetic stuff is getting annoying," she grinned.

"Why must it be so? And that wasn't even poetic, my dear."

She rolled her eyes. "If I kiss you, will you stop talking like that?"

He smiled. "It doesn't matter whether or not you kiss me. I'm not stopping. And guess what."

"What?"

He pointed over his head to a single mistletoe hanging above them. "Merry Christmas," he laughed.

She giggled and leaned forwards to him, linking her lips with hid. He held her to him tightly and returned her kiss passionately. They stayed like that for what seemed like a millennium although they could've stayed for a whole lot longer.

"I'm waiting for you to say something," she giggled breathlessly.

"...I love you, Derpy."

She blushed. "I love you too, Doctor."

He cradled her face and pulled her up to him again. Their lips linked and unlinked together softly with a hint of hungriness, like they needed each other and that kiss to survive. One of his hands rested against her thigh and the other stayed on her cheek. The Doctor felt her go limp against him, melting into their deep kiss when her legs straddled his waist. The grip they and on each other was strong and unbreakable.

The Doctor moved them farther into the TARDIS and laid her on the ground before looking down at her. She smiled, giggling embarrassedly. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she laughed.

"Derpy, how could I not?"he answered breathlessly, beginning to Kiss her in again in different intervals of joining together and breaking apart. "You're beautiful."

Derpy laughed vibrantly. "Doctor, you say that so often I don't feel awkward over it," she smiled when they took a breath.

The Doctor fully laid on top of her. "That's a good thing, right?"

"That's a good thing."

The Doctor and Derpy both shared one more laugh before bringing their lips together once more. The Doctor's left arm hooked around the middle of her back and pulled her up closer to him. He then stopped completely, watching her. "Derpy, are you completely sure you want to do this? We've only been dating for a month."

She smiled her answer, placing her lips onto his. "Are you?" she asked when they broke apart one last time.

He watched her again before an infectious grin caught onto his face. "Regenerate me."

"And I can trust you not to treat me like Queen Elizabeth, where you run off without me?" Derpy taunted.

"Derpy Hooves, crown or no crown, you are the only Queen I need," he said huskily.

Derpy laughed again, linking their lips together. A few seconds after that the Doctor carried her into his room, and, well... you know what happens next.

Author's Note:

I'm sorry. This was supposed to be uploaded yesterday, thus is why the setting takes place in Christmas, so... Again, I'm back to my ways of being late.

People never change, huh?

How was that for the end of a date? Sorry for the maturity, I suppose.

Thank you for reading!

- GothicPegasister


	23. Chapter 23

Doctor and Assistant, Chap. 23

Chapter 23: 3 Lives But 2 Hearts

/the Doctor\\

A sudden jolt grabbed him from his surprisingly deep sleep, beginning to sit up before freezing, as he felt something in his arms. And, when he looked down, he saw his beautiful assistant asleep next to him.

Realizing his mistake, he simply laid back down and cradled her closer against him. She exhaled softly, curling around him.

His hearts exploded at the sight of her. She was absolutely beautiful. He kissed her cheek and shut his eyes, although he knew sleep wouldn't come. Derpy smiled in her sleep, draping her arm over his stomach and burying her face in his chest.

/Lilly\\

Lilly yawned, her head finally hitting her pillow, when it began buzzing.

She paused. "Rachel, are you doing this?" she asked quietly.

"No."

"Then what is this?"

"...Sugar rush?"

"At 4 A.M.?"

Rachel paused. "Still. Never know."

Lilly groaned, stepping out of her bed. "Might as well check it out."

"I wouldn't," Rachel said quickly, appearing and blocking her door.

"Why? I can't get this out of my head and I need to see and comprehend the cause for it to stop. That's what I've been doing, anyways."

She began stammering. "See, see, er, Lilly, um, see, it's coming from the Doctor and Derpy's room, and, and..."

Lilly paled, grabbing her phone and earbuds and sitting back on her bed. "...I see."

"Yeah," Rachel exhaled, now sitting on the edge of her bed.

A thought hit Lilly, and she tried her best to contain her laughter. "Rachel, I'm hoping you didn't watch. You can break every dimensional law and I'm hoping, praying that you didn't teleport inside while still invisible."

Rachel paled and nervously wrung her fingers together.

Lilly gasped out of disbelief. "No you did not!" she giggled.

"I tried my best, I swear! I didn't mean to!"

Lilly laughed sincerely, wiping away a tear. "Oh, this is priceless, absolutely bloody priceless!"

Rachel laughed embarrassedly. "Sure - it is to you."

"Oi, loosen up!" Lilly grinned. "Just don't make a habit of watching people do... that. Then it'd be weird."

"Correction: weirder."

Lilly laughed again before hitting "play" and listening to her music.

/Scarlet\\

Scarlet flew down the TARDIS hallway thinking broodingly on one sole fact:

She had betrayed Derpy and the Doctor.

It hadn't hit her fully until now, now, as she somewhat romped through the TARDIS. She had worked for the Master the entire time. Derpy was only a target because the Master needed the Doctor. Caraphernelia was only killed so the Doctor would surrender.

But laughter pulled her out of her 4 A.M. brood when she passed Lilly's bedroom. Pausing before knocking, Scarlet walked inside.

Lilly hardly noticed her come on because she was so wrapped up in her phone, but when she waves her arms around hurriedly she looked up.

"Oh, hey!" Lilly smiled, patting a spot on the edge of her bed. "What's up?"

Scarlet realized Lilly wanted her to s it, and upon doing so she asked what the Master had wanted her to ask.

"What have I missed?"

/Lilly\\

"Oh, it was somewhat fairly active. After you died - or, whatever you did - Hydran's family died. He then turned good, and now he travels with us. Derpy and the Doctor got to see some sights yesterday on their date but were confronted by witches, you walked in on my semi-birthday party, and we saved Earth from burning due to solar energy."

"Oh, 'somewhat fairly active', I see," Scarlet murmured.

Lilly giggled, but it was soon cut short. "There's one thing I can't wrap my head around, though. The same name has been repeated now over and over again, and it fazes the Doctor every time." She paused. "Who's 'the Master'?"

Scarlet frozen completely. "Don't know," she shrugged in a try to play it cool, flying away.

/the Doctor\\

After they had both showered and redressed, the Doctor sat on the ground in front of the bed and pulled his psychic paper out of his inside breast pocket.

"Mmm," he murmured thoughtfully at the writings. "Derpy, dear, come take a look at this."

His assistant perched herself on the top of the bed. "Yeah?"

"Someone's sending me mail," he grinned widely. "Oh, how exciting! This is new, oh yes, this is new!"

"Doctor, you're adorable when you're excited, but you're also crazy. Have you always been like this?"

He laughed. "Of course! You never change - unless you regenerate."

Derpy grabbed the psychic paper. "It's from Jordan."

"'Jordan'?"

"Jordan, age: 13. Resides in 'Pennsylvania'?"

The Doctor took the psychic paper from her and studied the fluorescent light blue letters.

"I could be wrong. Read it aloud. I can't read," Derpy suggested to remind him.

The Time Lord cleared his throat. "'They're gone. All of them. In a flash. They picked up a controller and then disappeared without a trace. No body. No evidence. And the only reason in saying this, is because'... She's stopped writing. And you were right about the name, age and location. It's on the top corner. Oh! Will you look at that, Derpy, she's written. 'Because I've played it too. We need help. All of us. Every single one.'"

The words died away into darkness, fading into black. Derpy paused before speaking. "Alright. I suppose we got an agenda for today?"

"Allons-y, mon amour," the Doctor grinned, kissing her cheek and running out of the room with his hand clasped in hers.

/(NEW!)Jordan\\

Jordan collapsed against her bed in a fit of anxious anger. How could she be so stupid?! Her mother told her not to play it!

Her television was on and blaring the news channels she hated with a burning passion, but she listened to the anchor tell his story.

"Hello and good morning, viewers. Today is December 27, 2014. It's 33°F in our area and it's currently 9:37 A.M. Our first story for today: one sole abductor or serial-suicides? Another person goes missing as the search for the truth becomes of a greater and fiercer need. Over to our anchor, Samuel Willis, who has the story. Good morning to you."

"Why, yes, hello, and thank you. Good morning to you too. I'm standing outside of our 19th victim's house. No one is home so no family interviews were filmed, but I did get some word on who this victim was and how he acted before this terrible tragedy.

"A friend of the victim tearfully says 'he was the most caring and nerdy of us all. He loved video games so much he would skip school to buy or play one, and he didn't care about the suspensions he had gotten in school from it because he'd be home and able to play. He went to every event, every cosplay, and if there was a chance to LARP he'd be there in a flash with a well-thought costume. He was our role model.' Alan Murphy, 17 years old, disappeared from his home this morning at an unknown time. Our only lead was an opened box with a missing disc, that when found read Soul Rider. If you know anything about Alan or the game, please feel free to..."

Jordan tuned them out from that point. Nothing mattered. Not anymore. She would go missing by the next 24 hours, never to be seen from again.

And she didn't even mean to play the game. The TV started it up, and she hadn't. Then she was drawn in.

/the Doctor\\

The TARDIS materialized inside of a living room, the gusts of wind the time machine had created making a large mess.

"Is this the right house?" Hydran asked.

"The psychic paper never lies," he grinned. "Jordan! Don't be alarmed! We are here to help!" he then shouted.

Lilly hummed a song the Doctor didn't know, walking upstairs into the second floor to lead the group. After checking each door to only find them without Jordan (or any other human), they were about to give up. The only other door was locked, and they didn't want to break-and-enter anymore than they already had.

The Doctor did, however, spot a dog trotting through the hallways.

"Ello!" he said softly, petting her head and kneeling next to her. "Does a Jordan live here?"

"Don't tell me he is asking the pug," Scarlet muttered.

"Oi! Don't diss my multilingual intelligence of talking!" the Doctor shot back. "Now, you cute little doggie, where's Jordan?"

"She's in the attic! That's where she sleeps," the dog barked and yipped happily in response.

"Upstairs? Anything else?"

Lilly giggled. "Her name is Elizabeth."

"Right, sorry. Elizabeth, anything else?"

"Nope!" Elizabeth barked.

The Doctor left, sonicing the attic door open. Lilly led them upstairs.

"Are you the party that'll come and make me disappear forever?" a girl asked in a monotone. She looked young, about Lilly's age. She light brown half straightened to her shoulders and hazel eyes. Her room contained a small bed pressed against the wall, a large television that was about the size of her dresser, and shelf after shelf of video games and devices. Pokémon posters littered her wooden walls and the floors were a white carpet.

"No," Lilly said soothingly, sitting next to her. "I'm Lilly, that's my mum, Derpy, my dad, the Doctor, and our friends Hydran and Scarlet. Mind Hydran's appearance."

"Hydran?" the girl repeated. "And I'm Jordan. And Hydran just looks like a mix between Charmeleon and Pidove."

"Actually," Hydran said in confusion to the given names. "Call me Mercer." (Author's Note: Merr-sir.)

"What?" the travelers asked.

"Okay, never mind. I'll tell you later. Call me Hydran."

Jordan laughed a bit and the Doctor changed the subject. "So, what's the problem in it's entirety?" he asked.

"They're missing."

"Okay, but who is missing?"

"A lot of people. I'll show you."

/Jordan\\

Jordan opened up her desk drawer, pushing aside her binders for school and retrieving a golden one labeled "theories".

"The name of the binder explains it all. I have theories for everything - video games, stories, and, most importantly, life.

"Lately something has been happening," she explained, sitting on her bed between Lilly and the Doctor. "Kids have been going missing. No trace, no evidence, no note, no body. Just vanishing into thin air. Now, for someone as theoretical as me, this doesn't just go unnoticed.

"I've done enough research to get biographies and backgrounds of every victim. See?" She flipped a page for every new person. "The first one. Name: Katherine Veil. Born May 4, 2004. 10 years old. Second. Name: Dakota Bryd. Born April 14, 1998. 14 years old. I have all but the most recent, the nineteenth. Now, a lot of similarities; they all have 4-lettered last names, and a 4 somehow in their birth date. But in their hobbies, which I found by Googling, I saw the same game under their favorites.

"It's a one-player videogame called Soul Rider. You play as a human that can possess others, and you try to ride-the-souls to the top of the government to get rid of the unfairness of the city. It's so addictive - everyone has it. It's like a drug. But lately, starting on the date it was released, people have been going missing. And if it's because of the game, it's only recently been sold world-wide."

The Doctor nodded. "And you have played this game?"

"Yes, but against my will. And, my last name and birth date have 4 somehow tied into it."

"Wait, against your will?" Scarlet asked.

"It... Somehow, the disc got into the player and my TV projected it. Before I knew it I had chosen the characters name and I was in the city."

"So you're worried you'll go missing too?"

"Completely," Jordan admitted. "Doctor, there seems to be a countdown. 24 hours after you play it, and you're gone."

/the Master\\

"Yvette (Author's Note: Ih-Vet)," the Master called out, "it's almost time to shine!"

Yvette stood tall, her long brown pigtails flying behind her. She wore a green dress and black heels. "Yes, Master," she nodded with an American accent. "I'm ready to take Jordan."

"But, my girl, you must wait, for we have at least 14 hours."

/the Doctor\\

The Doctor hurriedly skimmed through the binder and reading it all in an instant, humming thoughtfully. He then speechlessly stood up, approached the TV, and pulled out his sonic screwdriver.

"If that was the last game you played, it should be in the disc slot and playable, yeah?" he asked uncertainly. "I need everyone to look away."

Derpy shook her head while everyone else did as asked, walking to him and holding his hand. "Don't think you can get away that easily."

He kissed the top of her head. "I would never."

And so the Doctor, with a cry of "Allons-y!", slammed his thumb against the button of his sonic screwdriver.

The screen zapped to life and gave a blue screen after a few waves of static, like a computer signifying an error. Then, an awkward mix of the Sonic The Hedgehog theme song and random blurbs of music rang out.

"I thought it was Soul Rider?" Lilly asked Jordan.

"It is! That and the graphics are why it is so addicting. And we all wanted to know if it were a crossover!"

The Doctor turned to them again. "Just for precaution's sake, don't look at the screen. Derpy and I are jumping in."

"Not without me," Hydran argued, flying over to them.

"Or me," Lilly agreed. "Because I am not 'only 12' anymore."

The time traveling couple nodded, grinning.

"Scarlet, you and Rachel tag team Jordan. If she disappears, Rachel will make sure to tell me," Lilly ordered.

Scarlet saluted them, lowering her hand in unison of an eye roll. "Any other last requests?"

"Don't do anything stupid," Hydran reminded her.

Scarlet glared at him. "Right back at ya."

Derpy bit on her lip to hold back a giggle, turning back to face the blue screen.

They jumped into the game in unison.

/Lilly\\

***Space-Jump(1.7 Meters (66.929 Inches))***

The music loudened temporarily before it was merely in her head, like she was listening to music with ear buds without the ear buds, but the music wasn't coming from the speaker of the phone - like her brain was the music source. It was a steady beat of 4 surrounded by natural sounds of a forest.

1, 2, 3, 4; 1, 2, 3, 4...

The second thing Lilly noticed was that they were no longer in Jordan's room. Instead, they were in a forest with 40+ ft. tall trees and short grasses. A stream warbled in the distance.

They all groggily stood up from their fallen positions on the ground, the Doctor making it to his feet first.

"Is everyone alright?" he asked, rushing to help everyone else up.

"I'm good," Lilly insisted.

"Ditto," Hydran agreed.

Derpy laughed when she stood before he got to her. "The first to help others, aren't ya, Doc?"

"Great, calling me 'Doc' now, are we?" he chuckled sarcastically. "Who'll be the third Scarlet?"

Derpy kissed his cheek. "Thanks, dear," she said sarcastically.

"Doctor, have you turned your poor girlfriend British?" Hydran asked with a laugh.

"Mercer?" the Doctor and Lilly shot back in a surprising unison.

The two began laughing as Hydran blushed embarrassedly.

Derpy was bewildered over the unison. "You two...? How?"

Lilly punched her adoptive father's shoulder lightly and playfully. "Us Brits gotta stick together nowadays," she giggled.

"But what's with 'Mercer' anyways?" the Doctor asked.

Hydran sighed. "You want to do this now?"

"Well, there aren't any distractions or dangers,

so, yeah," the Time Lord shrugged.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear," Lilly murmured.

/Derpy\\

Derpy's right eye raised in confusion. "What?" she asked.

A few twigs snapped and leaves crunched from behind them. They spun around to see 4 clones of one person, a somewhat muscular, dark-skinned, brunette man.

"What do you idiots think you're doing?! This is private property you're trespassing on!" he shouted.

"Oi!" the Doctor called out evenly. "We come in peace!"

"'We'? Oh, w-w-wait, 'oi'. That's Brit-t-tish. I thought we'd gotten rid of y-you all."

"I'm not from Britain, lots of places have a north," he shot back. "And whatchya mean, 'gotten rid of you all'?"

The cloned man narrowed his eyes. "How long have you lived here?"

"Merely less than 4 years," the travelers all said in an automatic unison.

"They p-p-put it into a p-p-proclamation 2 y-years ag-g-go. And how old are you?"

"22 years," they said again in unison.

They all looked around confusedly, the same thoughts in their minds.

"Sir, may I ask of a name?" the cloned man asked.

"Who's asking?" Lilly shot back.

The man, although Lilly had spoken, stared at the Doctor as if he had said it. "Officer. Short and sweet," the man said, tapping the police he had on his bulletproof vest 4 times.

"Okay, then, 'Officer'. How many people are you seeing in front of you, as in beside me?" the Doctor asked.

"I a-a-asked for your n-name f-first," Officer shot back.

Their vision went black, the only thing visible being white dashes, the numbers 0-9, and the English alphabet.

"Please insert your name using the given keyboard and 14 dashes. If not chosen in 60 seconds, or you would not want to pick a name in it's entirety, the identification of 'Anonymous' shall be your title," an American and invisible woman said as if they were on a telephone helpline.

"Let it choose 'Anonymous'," the Doctor murmured. Lo and behold, the name appeared one letter at a time upon the dashes.

"The name 'Anonymous' has been chosen with 0:56.17 seconds left. Last chance to change it, player. Press 'start' to play on."

The Doctor held out a hand. "Nobody say it. I need to think for a few seconds."

Derpy looked around and found that in every direction away from the white that they'd look blackness would block her vision, and her eyes weren't able to adjust.

"Now, think, think... Lilly, you spoke, you said something but Officer kept looking at me like I had spoken instead. What's with the unison? And why were there 4 of him? And why is the number 4 used so abundantly?" the Doctor rambled quickly to himself in one breath. "Okay. Fine. Start."

A whoosh of air was heard yet not felt and they soon found themselves again in the forest. Officer eyed the Doctor suspiciously.

"Anonymous," the 4 travelers said together.

"So, Anonymous, I d-d-don't know w-why you'd ask me a q-question as s-s-stupid as that. There's o-o-only one of me, like how there's o-o-only one of you and e-everyone else."

"But there's 3 copies of you...?" Hydran hazily asked.

"3 o-o-others of m-m-me?!" Officer gasped with a hearty laugh. "Must be h-h-hell."

"Now, what was that 'proclamation' 2 years back? And what's today's date?" Derpy asked to change the subject.

"I-it's 4-4-04, 4:44 P.M., just li-ike always. A-a-a-anyways, the proclamation issued only licensed citizens could liv-v-ve here in the city," Officer explained.

"Why?" Lilly asked.

"The President 's w-w-wife was m-m-murdered! It w-w-was the talk of the t-t-town! And you say y-y-you've been here for 4 y-y-years," he grumbled. "Anyways, I got to go. G-g-good l-luck s-surviving."

Officer disappeared into thin air, leaving the 4 time travelers to themselves.

Derpy paused, turning to face everyone and meeting their gazes. "What in the name of Celestia just happened?"

Hydran sighed at the Doctor's blank stare. "I don't know, but apparently there's only one of us."

The Doctor gasped, exiting whatever solemn stage he had been in.

"Idea?" Lilly asked.

"Idea," he agreed, his madman grin returning.

/the Doctor\\

"Soul Rider is a one player video game, right? But there's 4 of us who traveled into it. The software is used to only one protagonist, and we doubled it - twice. These characters are only used and-slash-or programmed to one protagonist, so they only acknowledge one," he ramblingly explained. "As for why it only acknowledged me, I think it's because I spoke first rather than anyone else."

"Now, about the 4 Officer clones?" Derpy asked.

"Easy - 4 of us, 4 of him," he said.

Lilly watched Derpy in a bewildered manner. The Doctor, realizing she was probably reading his assistant's aura, began slowly walking towards the direction of where Officer had come from.

/Lilly\\

White, sparkling flashes in her aura. That could only mean one thing...

/the Doctor\\

The Doctor moved aside some branches and saw a bustling city that resembled a mixture of New York's buildings and London's noise and vehicles, lacking their red double decker buses.

"Land, ho," he said to himself, turning to face his group of companions.

Lilly blinked and, along with everyone else, turned to face him. "Well, then what are we doing just standing here?"

Derpy paled noticeably.

"Mon amour, are you alright?" the Doctor asked worriedly.

She shook her head, covering her mouth.

"Well, then what's wrong?" Hydran asked.

"I don't feel too good," she admitted.

Derpy coughed and then ran to a bush, throwing up into the plant. The Doctor knelt beside her, rubbing her back soothingly to calm her down.

/Lilly\\

If what Rachel said about what had happened between the Doctor and his assistant, Derpy's aura and her throwing up could only mean one beautiful and horrifying thing.

Derpy was going to soon find herself pregnant - with the Doctor's child.

Author's Note:

ALL RIGHTS TO THEIR OWNERS. I SHOULD SAY THIS MORE OFTEN BUT SPECIFICALLY I WILL BECAUSE OF THE VIDEO GAME REFERENCES.

Well, welcome to the party, unnamed-baby. But who else is extremely excited for the child?

Sorry for the late upload (about 6 days?) again, guys. I'm hoping this chapter was worth it. Now, I am not a buff of the Pokémon fandom, so if I got those names wrong I'm sorry. Jordan is a friend of mine who heard of the video game plot, and immediately asked for a role. So, thanks for the character, if you're reading this!

And to my readers, thank you for the continued support. 5 favorites and 4 alerts for Doctor and Assistant, and 1,107 views!

Thank you for reading,

-GothicPegasister


	24. Chapter 24

Doctor and Assistant, Chapter 24

Chapter 24: 3 Lives But 2 Hearts, Part Two

/Scarlet\\

Jordan stood up fearlessly.

"What are you doing?" Scarlet asked.

"Technically speaking, I've already looked."

Jordan ripped something that sounded like tape and soon the room dimmed, losing light. Scarlet peeked in and saw a dark curtain covering the screen so it was impossible to see the game without moving the obstacle.

"I know it won't hold for long, but it's somewhat ingenious," Jordan muttered.

Scarlet nodded in agreement. "But there's something off about you."

"About me?!" Jordan gasped, laughing.

"How're you okay about this? 5 strangers walk into your room, jump into your TV, and you're not the tiniest bit confused or scared?"

"It just seems anomalous," she shrugged.

Scarlet face-palmed. "You're not scared of anomalous things?"

"Nope! Place not to far from here got hit by some 'Carrionites' and 3 people disappeared in a telephone kiosk labeled 'police'. London is full of anomalies too. In fact..." Jordan gasped. "Were they the aliens that were in New York?"

"I wasn't around for that part," Scarlet admitted. "Sick."

"Wait, are you an alien too?" The Skyolozine nodded. "What species?"

"Skyolozine." (Author's Note: Figured to say it now, so, "sky-oh-luh-zeen".)

"No way!" Jordan then paused. "'Skyolozine'? What's that?"

"I grow wings and fly. Not that entertaining."

"What's your home planet like?"

Scarlet paused. "I... I don't know, exactly."

Jordan's expression turned to be one of disbelief. "Wait, you don't know your home planet's name?"

The Skyolozine shrugged. "Lost my memory early on in my life. I was taken in by a member of another species. At least, that's what I've been told..."

"By who?"

"My dad-slash-guardian-slash-boyfriend-slash-lover-slash... Actually, that's about it."

"Well, who is that?"

"...You wouldn't know him," Scarlet meekly said, sighing.

"How were you raised? Like, how did he treat you?" Jordan was definitely wrapped into the story, and it would've been mean to stop.

Scarlet took in a deep breath before speaking. "I did most of the work around his spaceship, a.k.a my at-that-time current residence."

"What kind of work?"

"Oh, you know, kind of like a servant's. I had to cook, clean, and basically any chore you could think of."

Jordan was puzzled. "If you don't mind my asking, how old are you?"

"18," she admitted.

"Wow...," Jordan sighed after a pause, "you had it rough."

"No kidding," Scarlet laughed nervously and ashamedly.

"Do you still do it?"

"No, I moved in with the Doctor, Derpy, Lilly and Hydran a month or so ago. So, no cleaning for me, if you don't count my bedroom."

"What is it like? You know, living with aliens?"

"Like living with yourself," she laughed. "What's it like when you're not?"

Jordan merely laughed, looking down and shaking her head.

/Lilly\\

Derpy, when done, was guided by the Doctor to the stream to get a drink, leaving Lilly with Hydran.

Hydran, sitting on the tree stump next to her, watched her with a caring expression as she tried not to make eye contact. She was too deep in though to.

If Derpy was pregnant, how would that affect everyone else? Would it affect anyone else? But most of all, what of the Doctor's mentality on the subject of 'children', with his dead?

"...You alright?" Hydran asked. "You're paler than a ghost. No pun intended."

Lilly giggle shortly. "Yes... I'm okay."

"Liar," he declared softly, "you have an idea as to what's going on."

Lilly froze. "No, n-n-no I don't."

"You're a 13 year old girl who sees the past, present, and future, and the beings they contain. When you pale, something is up and you don't want to say it."

"Look, Hydran - or Mercer, whatever your real name is - I know nothing. I'm okay. Just... Just leave it."

A few awkward moments passed before Hydran, in a hoarse voice, said: "it's a nickname."

"What?" Lilly asked, taken aback by surprise.

"Hydran. It's my nickname."

"Then why have people call you by a nickname rather than your real name?"

"My friends back home never liked my real name. Instead, they give me a nickname. Hydran. And it kind of stuck, I guess."

"Why 'Hydran', though?" Lilly asked the 3-headed dragon.

"Well, in Greek mythology there's a 3-headed water serpent named Hydra. And, to top it off, that's my only weakness," Hydran/Mercer explained.

"3 headed water serpents name Hydra are your only weakness?"

"No! No," Hydran laughed. "Water. Water is my only weakness."

/the Doctor\\

The Doctor held Derpy's hand, helping her sit up after taking a drink from the stream.

"Are you alright now, love?" he asked her.

Derpy giggled nervously. "That was so embarrassing... I can not believe that just happened."

The Doctor kissed the top of her head soothingly. "Calm down, dear. Stuff like this happens."

"Mmhmm," she mumbled sadly.

"Hey, when we get done with Soul Rider and this entire ordeal, we're going right into the TARDIS and you're going to get some rest," the Time Lord said. "Doctor's orders."

Derpy smiled embarrassedly, looking down and following him towards the section of the forest where Lilly and Hydran were. The Doctor swung her hand back and forth as they walked.

Lilly greeted them both when they arrived, her face paled but not stopping her thankful and relieved smile. Hydran's expression told she'd been like that for a while now.

"Before you ask, yes, I am okay," Lilly insisted automatically.

The Doctor watched her uncertainly before nodding. It was no use to argue.

"Perhaps we should venture onwards...?" he asked as a suggestion. But that wasn't where his mind was. It was on the subject of Derpy.

He'd been thinking on it - they both were. Derpy agreed to ponder on it for now and talk later, because each of them had said they'd had a myriad of different suggestions.

That, he knew, would be both an enticing and frightening conversation he couldn't wait to have with his assistant/girlfriend/lover.

The Doctor led his group of 4 through the forest (more like what was left of it) and they eventually reached the city. It was way busier than necessary and approximately, to the Time Lord's estimates, 72.5734% closer to giving him a headache than Jackie Tyler's nagging - especially from when she'd thought her daughter had gone missing and presumed her for dead... or anytime she was in danger to being with.

Which was all the time.

The Doctor sighed.

Derpy exhaled a "whoa" and tried to take in the scene as much as she could before venturing onwards slowly. "Avante!" she cried out, followed by everyone joining together in laughter.

/Lilly\\

"I guess mum's feeling better," Lilly laughed quietly to Hydran.

"Yeah," he agreed, chuckling. "You'd think if she's sick she wouldn't be telling US to get going."

Lilly laughed again, looking down before meeting his gaze and nearly tripping. He quickly caught her, however. "Thanks. And maybe dad said or did something."

"Oh, no, we got another Scarlet!" the dragon said in an alarmed manner. He then changed his demeanor an entire 180° to say, "And your welcome."

"No, no," she replied to his first comment. "Only one Scarlet is enough. I can't imagine having two."

"Oh, do forbid," he muttered.

After they reached the sidewalk (which didn't fit in for some reason in Lilly's eyes) that would prove as a bulwark to them and the street, the Doctor was approached by a woman handling a stroller. The blanket was covering whatever laid inside.

"Sir, do you mind helping me?" she asked impatiently.

Two words, "yes" and "no", appeared at the bottom of their vision. They all looked at the Doctor in a confused manner.

"Heck if I know what that means," he shrugged, laughing.

"T-thanks," she stuttered back sarcastically.

The woman walked away before anyone could try to stop or apologize to her, leaving them in a wave of mass confusion.

"Again with the stuttering," Lilly murmured loud enough to the travelers.

The Doctor groaned. "That was so unkind of me. I didn't say no!"

"Well, you said 'know'. Video game hardware must've interpreted it for 'no'. Sounds similar, anyways," Lilly reminded him.

The Time Lord exhaled. "I guess you're right. So I suppose we're walking on the boulevard of broken glass instead of dreams."

"What does that mean?" Hydran asked.

"Watch where you step."

/Derpy\\

Derpy grimaced at the returning stomach pain, resisting the urge to throw up by falling back and holding her daughter's hand tightly. Lilly frowned up at her, her eyes filled with excitement and confusion.

"Are you alright?" Derpy was asked by the psychic.

Derpy paused. "You know, to be honest, I have no idea."

/Lilly\\

Lilly paused for a moment before smiling encouragingly. "Don't worry, mum. You'll love the change should something strange begins. And, knowing you, you'll find a way to push through."

(Author's Note: Okay so I just referenced to 3 different songs, Boulevard Of Broken Dreams by Green Day, Good Advice (which is from an Alice In Wonderland musical), and Moonlight Shadow (which I've listened to through Nightcore). I'm hoping you got at least one.)

Derpy giggled. "You act as if you know what's wrong with me."

She shook her head. "Not a clue."

"12 days," Rachel declared softly after a pause.

Lilly ignored her Spirit Guide for now, waiting until Derpy walked back to the front of the group with the Doctor and Hydran (who hadn't heard their shushed conversation) to ask, "'12 days' until what?"

"Derpy and the Doctor will know in 10-12 days."

Lilly smiled. "That's adorable. And do you know how they'll react?"

"Nope!" she said over-cheerfully.

Lilly opened her mouth the speak but was interrupted by the honking of a truck. The Doctor gestured to his group to keep walking across the street.

/the Master\\

"Master, can I please just go get Jordan now?! I need a new member to my collection," Yvette pleaded.

"Not yet, my dear. Momentai, for we should wait it out."

"But Master!" she gasped. "Then we could have something to use against the Doctor!"

He pondered for a few moments before kissing her head and nodding. "You have a point. Yes, you may."

Yvette grinned toothily and hit the center of her vortex manipulator.

/Rachel\\

Rachel was now with Scarlet and Jordan, leaving Lilly to adventure with her parents and Hydran. Rachel was just as excited about Derpy and the Doctor's child as Lilly, even though she didn't know much about him/her.

She watched purple and colors similar to indigo appear in strands from the floor, reaching 1/2 of the ceiling's height. A fair-skinned woman with a green dress and black heels appeared with a menacing laugh.

"Jordan?" she declared. In a snap of her fingers both herself and Jordan disappeared.

Scarlet was flabbergasted. "Rachel, time to tell Lilly."

/the Doctor\\

They began to venture onwards but, again, were interrupted. However, this time, it was because Lilly gasped.

"No..." she murmured.

The Doctor lifted his finger to his lips as if to tell them to be quiet. They agreed, watching Lilly.

Lilly fearfully looked at them, meeting their gazes.

"Lilly?" Hydran asked softly.

"They got Jordan...," she said breathlessly.

/the Master\\

Yvette had Jordan tied in ropes with duct tape masked over her mouth. The Master scoffed.

"Isn't that a bit too overboard?" he pointed out.

Jordan nodded frantically, letting out a ring of muffled words out.

"Nah," Yvette grinned, "this is an understatement. She's a smartie, though, ain't she?"

"Correct..." the Master murmured, laying against the back of his seat.

Jordan changed her nods to hurried shakes of her head.

"Oh, but you are! You decoded the secret number for Soul Rider's adventures!" the Time Lord grinned.

"4... You've run into that quite a few times, haven't ya?" Yvette teasingly said.

"Oh, quite true."

/Lilly\\

Lilly was approached by Rachel.

"More news?" she asked the Spirit.

"Like you wouldn't believe," Rachel sighed.

"Appear; pray do tell."

Rachel did as asked and automatically began talking once they all watched her. "Doctor, what's with you and the number 4?"

He froze. "Do I have to?"

Derpy gripped his hand encouragingly. After looking down into his assistant's eyes, he took a deep breath.

"The Master was brought back to life and given superhuman qualities. He and the Ood told me that when... that when I hear someone knock 4 times, I'd regenerate into my next incarnation. I... When..." He had to pause for a few moments to gather himself. Looking down and talking quietly as if he was ashamed, he sighed. "Wilfred Mott knocked 3 times before I was able to sonic him out. That's when I dropped everyone off, and I stumbled upon Equestria."

Rachel nodded in understanding while Derpy kissed his cheek.

"So... You and the Master... Good or bad?" Hydran asked.

"... No comment."

"He's here," Rachel blurted out bluntly.

"What?!" the Doctor gasped, stepping back automatically.

"Doctor?" Derpy asked in surprise.

"Calm down, dad," Lilly said softly, grabbing his hand in unison with Derpy.

"He's got a girl named Yvette, and they have Jordan," she continued to explain.

The Doctor was paled by then, and Derpy and Lilly were hugging him to calm him down. "How could I have possibly been so blind?" he asked numbly. "4s in their birth-dates, 4 of us in one game, hell, it's always 4:44 P.M! The Master is behind this; he has to be!"

Suddenly, the background changed.

They were seemingly teleported into a dark-gray-walled, light-gray-floored room. Windows embellished it, showing brilliant views of space. There was a single chair that would swivel and pivot depending on where you'd lean, and in it sat a man so mysterious and powerful he could destroy whole worlds.

"The Master..." the Doctor allowed himself to whisper.

/the Master\\

"Yes, for it is I, my friend," the Master laughed, spinning his chair.

"But... B-but you're dead!" he exclaimed. "You died in my arms!"

"And you've been dead for 457 years," he shot back.

(Author's Note: Current age of the Doctor: 907. Age first Doctor/incarnation regenerated into the second: 450. 907(minus)450(equals)457.)

The Doctor's brown eyes were a brown mass wave of nebulousness, but it was easy to read his confusion from a mile away.

"How did you survive?" he was asked.

The Master shook his head. "Spoilers...," He murmured.

The Doctor forgot the topic for now, his eyes as hard as stone. "Where is Jordan?"

"Hmm... About that... Er, Yvette, how about you tell them?"

Yvette laughed, walking out on cue.

"I've put them into the interface," she laughed simply.

"See, Yvette here is pretty much the leader, I guess you could say, for Soul Rider," the Master said, beginning to spin in his chair again.

"What do you mean, 'interface'?" Hydran asked, ignoring the Master.

He stopped his spinning, looking as dramatic as could be. "Why, sure, just forget little old me," he slurred, spinning again.

"An interface is the sharing link that connects two separate components of a computer's sharing/exchange program, and it connects into one end of my game," Yvette explained, "that's where I keep my victims. Millions worldwide play the game but only the ones with 4s are chosen... Poor saps - stuck for eternity screaming to let them out, but no relief is given..."

The Doctor was now noticeably angry, along with the dragon-dude he couldn't help but think looked familiar. Scarlet had said Lilly was the girl with dark brown hair on a slant, and That Derpy had mismatched golden eyes. 'Easy to spot them out, the damned social outcasts...' he thought to himself. Lilly held Derpy's hand, and they both had an unreadable expression.

"Give us Jordan and the other 19 victims," the Doctor ordered.

"Or what?" Yvette shot back.

"Oh, shots fired," the Master chuckled. "I suppose it's quarrel-time. Oh, I love quarrel-time!"

"Or we take them back ourselves," he suggested, again ignoring the Master.

Yvette laughed. "How would you possibly achieve t-that?!"

She covered her mouth and froze, and the Master knew why.

She'd blown her cover.

/the Doctor\\

"Exactly! Just as I thought," the Doctor grinned after scanning her with his sonic screwdriver, "she's not real."

"What?" Hydran gasped, walking with Derpy and Lilly to the Doctor.

"The stuttering was only made by people on the video game. Also, it was only when they answered questions we didn't say together. Therefore, every time we went off the game's script and they answered, it was the stuttering that was the resulted noise of the internal circuits breaking and the character freaking out over it. Technically, the Master isn't playing the game, so they can talk freely together. But us? Master, tell me: am I right?" He spun around to see an empty chair.

"And... He's gone," Derpy sighed. "How?"

Lilly picked up a piece of paper and read aloud "'there's something called a 'vortex manipulator'" to their amusement.

"But where could he possibly go?"

Lilly flipped the paper over. "'I'm a Time Lord with a TARDIS!'"

The Doctor's eyes lit up and he rushed to one of the many computers. Derpy followed him.

"Yes... He's a Time Lord, a Time Lord just like me! I know where he's stored them."

It showed a blue screen asking for a username and a password.

"What're you gonna type?" his assistant asked.

"How about... username: sonic, password: screwdriver?" he jokingly suggested, using the said item to turn the screen automatically into the folder labeled "Yvette".

Derpy giggled at his joke, but started at the name. "Why is 'Yvette' labeled?" she asked.

"This is her brain. She's part of the game, so her brain is really just hardware stored into this computer," he explained. He then had his palm collide with his forehead. "No! Wait! Yvette is the interface! And the body she has is just a strewn together costume of hologram-imaging!"

The Doctor opened the folder labeled "people" and scrolled down the names.

Katherine Veil... Dakota Bryd... Daniel List... Lilly Scyt... Michelle Soke... Shadow Mose... Devyn Burs... Olivia West... Seth Gibson... Ruby Hamilton... Quentin Alen... Meghan Pars... Amos Moody... Ian Wals... Madeline Hunt... Tiffany Pham... Sean Huff... Luke Whelburg... Alan Murphy... Jordan Robinson.

Aside from all 20 names were the words "taken" and "delete". He was lost.

"Lilly, does Rachel know by any chance what each button'll do?" he asked.

Lilly, who was standing with Hydran and staring at the frozen Yvette, merely shook her head.

The Doctor looked at Derpy, who wrapped her arm around his shoulders.

"Derpy, any thoughts, my dear?"

She sighed. "Yvette said that they're trapped and in pain without relief nearby. If 'delete' means what I think it means, you should give them their freedom from the never-ending hell they're being put through," Derpy suggested. "And excuse my language."

"Do you really think so?" he sighed.

"I know how that feels, and I wished during every harmful second of it for someone to put me out of my misery when I was growing up in Ponyville," Derpy admitted softly after a pause. "This is their only chance."

The Doctor inhaled deeply before moving the mouse to the "delete all" button, and clicked.

Yvette disappeared.

The Doctor then hit the "yes" button on a pop-up window that read "cancel Subject: Soul Rider?", and the entire folder and game was deleted.

***(Time-Jump (2 Hours Later))***

(Author's Note: Yes, I know 2 hours doesn't seem like a lot to get from somewhere around noon to 8 P.M, but haven't you played a video game before? Time really does fly.)

Derpy cuddled against him while he sat up I'm their bed. Everyone but the Doctor and his assistant had fallen asleep minutes earlier.

"Hey," she murmured, "I thought you said we'd talk about this."

"Trust me," he laughed softly, "I haven't forgot."

"Well... What do you think happened?"

He paused, unsure of how to explain his thoughts.

"Derpy..., do you think that you're... I don't know, um... Do you think you're pregnant?" he managed to ask, flinching after thinking she'd overreact.

"Why are you flinching?" she asked, kissing his cheek.

"I thought you'd be offended," he admitted.

Derpy paused before clearing her throat. "Why would you think I'm pregnant? Just wondering."

The Doctor wrapped his arm around her shoulders and sighed heavily. "It's just... I mean... That's what happens when people do what we did, I guess. And, with you throwing up, morning sickness is a side effect."

His assistant thought it over as well.

"I think you're right," she finally admitted.

"Really?" he asked in a concealed gasp.

"Yes, I... I do," she smiled.

The Doctor grinned at her and weaved his fingers through her hair. "Is this a good thing or a bad thing?"

She pondered for a moment. "It's not a good thing."

"Hmm?" he asked, completely shocked (and for some reason, guilty).

"It's a fantastic thing," she grinned, pecking his lips.

He embraced her tightly and she giggled in his grasp, kissing his cheek and then his lips again, pulling him as close as possible to her.

The Doctor kept kissing her passionately but it soon became rough, like they couldn't live without each other and that kiss. He laid on top of her when she laid down, and she smiled embarrassedly.

"I love you," he whispered without stopping their kiss.

"I love you, too," she said back in the same way.

After a few more minutes Derpy pulled away, blushing. They shared a laugh before laying on their sides of the mattress, but not long afterwards they found each other snuggling against each other once more. Derpy smiled, resting her head against his chest as the Doctor draped an arm over her stomach and resting hid chin on the top of her head.

"Goodnight, Doctor," Derpy whispered.

"Goodnight, mon amour," he whispered back.

Author's Note:

Sorry for the late upload, guys! Also, the reason I can't go too into depth between the entire Derptor thing and I can't type certain things, is because I'm only 12 years old. Obviously, that specific education (if you know what I mean...) hasn't been taught to me yet since I'm in with grade, so I'm sorry if you've been craving more action and it hasn't been delivered.

Again, sorry,

- GothicPegasister


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